LIBRARY OF CONGRESS. 



Shfilf_^Efc 



UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 



;si,.;--AW 




J. C. Bright. 

(See Page 215.) 



OUR 



MISSIONARY WORK 



FROM 



1853 TO 1889 



^v- 



BY 



Rev. D. K. Flickinger, D. D 



WHOSE OFFICIAL CONNECTION WITH THE WORK EXTENDED FROM 
I855 TO I889 




DAYTON, OHIO 

United Brethren Publishing House 

1889 



^t 







The Library 
of Congress 

washington 



CONTENTS. 



CHAPTER I. 
Religion of Christ a missionary religion — Missionary history 
important — Neglecting to provide for the poor is neglecting 
Christ — The souls of men being more valuable than their bod- 
ies, have a stronger claim upon our sympathies — Illustrations 
of a genuine missionary spirit II 

CHAPTER II. 

Statistics showing moral condition of the world — Church of Christ 
has only been playing at missions — The heathen ignorant of 
God; slaves to superstition; worship their shadows, and gods 
made of wood, clay, iron, and stone — The gospel of Christ their 
only hope ; without this utterly impossible for them to emerge 
from their sad state . 17 

CHAPTER III. 

Certainty of work being accomplished — True, there is still much 
skepticism at home and heathenism abroad — Much as the gospel 
has to contend with, its progress is so marked as to assure final 
and complete victory — The liquor traffic in heathen countries, 
and the prostitution of heathen women, permitted by Christian 
governments greatly hinder the cause of Christian missions. 21 

CHAPTER IV. 

Missionary century — Dr. Cary, in 1792 — Opposed to missions be- 
cause "We have no religion to spare" — Giving to others the 
best way to retain what we have — How a minister in Indiana was 
made happy — How a man was kept from committing suicide, 
and was led to help others 23 

CHAPTER V. 

Work of the last hundred years — Over one hundred missionary 
organizations— Sixteen million dollars now, instead of five hun- 

V 



VI CONTEXTS, 

dred thousand at the beginning of this century — The Bible 
translated into many languages, and circulating freely even in 
Catholic countries — Great success of missions in India, China, 
Japan, Madagascar, Sandwich and Fiji islands 27 

CHAPTER VI. 

Sentiment becoming more friendly to missions — Churches which 
labor most earnestly to enlighten the heathen, grow most rap- 
idly at home — This abundantly illustrated in our own church 
since 1853 — The old negro's and the Chinaman's remarks — "Lo, 
I am with you alway, " is better understood now than formerly... 32 

CHAPTER VII. 

Illustrations of early piety — A boy's logic too much for his father — 
" We have heathen at home," no reason for not sending the gos- 
pel abroad — Practicing self-denial makes us strong in the Lord — 
The efforts of Cary, Judson, Livingstone, and others quickened 
into new life the churches they left behind — A minister's re- 
mark, that what he had given to God's cause was all he had left 
to him 35 

CHAPTER VIII. 
From 1853 to 1857. 

Organization of Missionary Society — Work commenced in Mis- 
souri, Michigan, Nebraska, Canada, and California — Mission- 
aries sent to Africa — Co-operation with American Missionary 
Association — Progress of work upon home, frontier, and foreign 
missions during the four years 40 

CHAPTER IX. 

From 1857 to 1861. 

General Conference of 1857 — Illness of secretaries — Publication 
of Missionary Telescope — Financial crisis — Many conversions — 
House sent to Africa — Missionaries shipwrecked — The work suc- 
cessful 52 

CHAPTER X. 

From 1861 to 1865. 
Serious obstacles to overcome on account of debt and war — Money 
came from unexpected sources in answer to prayer — Fierce op- 
position from pro-slavery men — Work in Africa not entirely 
abandoned — Real progress upon many fields — Losses upon a few. 62 



CONTENTS. Vll 

CHAPTER XL 
From 1865 to 1869. 

Missionary Visitor commenced — Freedmen's mission discontin- 
ued — Work resumed In places from which war had driven us — 
Oregon made self-supporting — Rev. O. Hadley and wife sent to 
Africa, and what they said — Union sought with the Evangelical 
Association — Great prosperity on frontier and home missions 75 

CHAPTER XII. 
From 1869 to 1873. 

Work commenced in Germany — Rev. J. Gomer and wife go to 
Africa — Frontier work enlarged — Opposition to our work in Ger- 
many — Skies brightening in Africa — Rev. J. A. Evans and Mrs. 
Hadley go to Africa — D. F. Wilberforce comes to Dayton — Mis- 
sionary Visitor and the work generally successful 87 

CHAPTER XIII. 

From 1873 to 1877. 

Change of president and treasurer — Women's praying crusade — 
Return of Missionaries — Work commenced in Philadelphia — 
Rapid growth in Nebraska — First churches organized in Africa — 
Woman's Missionary Association — Missionaries going to and 
coming from foreign fields — Wrong to have missionary debt — 
Average of one dollar per capita should be given .• 101 

CHAPTER XIV. 
From 1877 to 1881. 

Missionary bishop for Pacific Coast — Unjust discrimination against 
color — Missionary quarterly — Wilberforce and wife go to Africa 
— Boys' home built in Africa — Persecution in Germany — Organi- 
zation of Mission districts in Africa and Germany — Prosperity at 
home and abroad 118 

CHAPTER XV. 
From 1881 to 1885. 

Commencing new mission stations in Africa — Rev. Gomer and wife 
come home, and then return to Africa — Transfer of Mendi mis- 
sion to the United Brethren Board of Missions, with money 
necessary to sustain it— Freedmen's Mission Aid Association of 
London — Papers published in Africa and Germany — Chinese on 
the Pacific coast — Rapid growth in all the departments of work... 131 



Vlll CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER XVI. 
From 1885 -to 1889. 

New secretary and treasurer — Foreign bishops' district— Reduced, 
appropriations— Changes in Africa and Germany — The work con- 
tinues to prosper in Africa — Rufus Clark and Wife Theological 
Training-school — Desolating war in Africa — Rapid increase of 
members — Success in paying missionary debt — Prosperity in all 
departments 165 

CHAPTER XVII. 

Woman's Missionary Association — Preliminary remarks — Its be- 
ginning — Its mission fields — Its prosperity , 205 

CHAPTER XVIII. 
Biographical sketch of Rev. J. C. Bright 215 

CHAPTER XIX. 
Biographical sketch of Rev. J. Kemp..,. 224 

CHAPTER XX. 
Biographical sketch of Mrs. Mary Ann Sowers 229 

CHAPTER XXI. 
Biographical sketch of Mrs. Sylvia Carpenter Haywood 234 

CHAPTER XXII. 
Biographical sketches of African converts 239 



INTRODUCTION. 



In 1853, the Home, Frontier, and Foreign Missionary Society of the 
United Brethren in Christ was organized by the General Conference 
of the church. This volume contains the history of the work per- 
formed, with results tabulated at the end of each quadrennial term, so 
far as this could be done, in a statistical form. Some of the statements 
made, though not regarded as essential to the history, are inserted 
because they are interesting, and may be useful. 

Africa has considerable space given it, for the reason that this is the 
most important mission of the society. It also did more to awaken 
missionary zeal in the Church than all others. This large continent, 
much of which is still in undisturbed heathenism, is now fully open to 
missionaries, who should be sent by hundreds to redeem that dark 
land to Christ. 

Mr. Stanley, in his march of nine hundred and ninety-nine days 
from Zanzibar across the continent to the mouth of the Congo River, 
says that in all the fifty million people in the country through which 
he passed, not one had heard the gospel. The explorations and death 
of Livingstone, and the heroic sufferings of Stanley, through which 
the civilized world has obtained a more perfect knowledge of the sad 
condition of the people of that dark continent, have awakened much 
zeal and activity in its behalf. The cruelties endured by thousands of 
the people of Africa, growing out of the slave-trade, the rum-traffic, 
cannibalism, offering human sacrifices, and the many superstitions of 
the people, as, for instance, witchcraft, should cause Christians to 
speedily give them the gospel. The history of our mission in Africa, 
as given in this volume, shows how truly the gospel is the power of 
God unto salvation ; also how wonderfully, not to say miraculously, 
the Master has led our church in its work there. 

Our work in Germany, considering the small outlay of money, shows 
conclusively that God has been with us in the Fatherland. In the new 
states and territories of the United States, a good work has also been 
done by the society. In the department of home missions, great 
strength has been added to the Church, and many precious souls have 
been saved. As these are not under the control of the parent society, 

ix 



X INTRODUCTION. 

but of its branches, there is not so much said of them , but the quad- 
rennial tabulated statistics of home missions are given as fully as those 
of frontier and foreign missions. Very much has been omitted for 
brevity's sake, as, for instance, the names of missionaries, who did 
much hard and excellent work upon home and frontier missions, of 
whom space does not permit giving a specific account Names of 
members of the Board of Missions are omitted for the same reason. 

The portraits and sketches of the first and the present officers of the' 
missionary society, and the sketches of the first two presidents of th? 
Woman's Missionary Association and several of our African converts, 
with the cuts representing the Rufus Clark and Wife Theological 
Training-school, the Mary Sowers Home for Girls, the Rotufunk 
school, the boys and girls of Shaingay school, and Chief Souri Kes- 
sebbe and his wives, will add much to the value of this volume. 

The author regrets that the sketches of persons whose lives were so 

full of good works and zeal for God's cause as to have furnished matter 

for a volume as large as this, had to be compressed into a few pages. 

It is a source of pleasure to him that the mere outlines given will in 

this way perpetuate the memories of those whom all delight to honor. 

August, 1889. 

D. K. FLICKINGER. 




John Kemp. 

(See page 224.) 



United Brethren Missions. 



CHAPTER I. 

Religion of Christ a missionary religion — Missionary history impor- 
tant — Neglecting to provide for the poor is neglecting Christ — The 
sonls of men being more valuable than their bodies, have a stronger 
claim upon our sympathies — Illustrations of a genuine missionary 
spirit. 

Before coming to the work indicated by the title of 
this volume, which is to give the history of our mis- 
sions since the organization of the Home, Frontier, and 
Foreign Missionary Society, in 1853, a few general re- 
marks respecting the missionary enterprise will be in 
place. 

The salvation of Christ, so strikingly foreshadowed 
in the Old Testament, and advanced from promise to 
fulfillment in the Xew Testament scriptures, in other 
words, the religion of Christ, is pre-eminently a mis- 
sionary religion. A life of faith in the Son of God 
fills the soul of the believer with the same compassion 
for sinners which the Savior had. All true Christian 
churches are of necessity missionary churches. The 
intensity of zeal for mission work may be greatly modi- 
fied by peculiar surroundings. Our early training, and 
the interpretation given to the Xew Testament teaching 
upon this subject, as well as the needs and encourage- 
ments of mission fields, all these will have a great 
influence as to the measure of missionary zeal which 

Christians possess. Then, the circumstances of the age 

11 



12 HISTORY OF THE 

in which men live must be taken into account. Some of 
the great reformers, as, for instance, Luther and Calvin, 
and even the fathers of our own church, found much in 
their midst that was wicked, not only among the irre- 
ligious, but also in the churches. In short, the dead for- 
mality in many of the Protestant churches, the idolatry 
and tyranny of the Eomanists, and the low type of 
piety among the communicants cf both, with very few 
exceptions, in their day, gave these men of God so much 
to correct at home that they had neither time nor money 
to attend to any missionary work among the heathen. 
They did truly a home missionary work which was 
much needed, and did it with heroic zeal. It is not 
exaggerating to say that the history of the world, espe- 
cially since the Christian era, would be incomplete 
without showing what Christian missions have done. 
Indeed, the most important or valuable portion of the 
world's history is either directly missionary history or 
the outgrowth of missionary effort. All great changes 
for the better, as those in the a'postles' day, and such as 
had their origin in the great reformations since that 
time, are inseparably connected with Christian missions. 
The religion of the Lord Jesus in the hearts of men 
is at the foundation of all truly great movements for 
the welfare of the race of man, both in this life "and that 
which is to come. Bold as this statement may seem, 
and as open to criticism as some may regard it, it will 
nevertheless stand the test. Persons not professedly 
Christian are often unconsciously swayed by Christian 
principles, and in this way have been in some instances 
not behind real Christians in promoting great benevo- 
lent enterprises, the greatest of which originated in the 
benevolence of God, and was manifested to man in the 
work which our Savior accomplished by living, dying, 



UNITED BRETHREN MISSIONS. 13 

and being raised from the dead in our behalf. Chris- 
tianity having originated in the benevolence of God, 
inaugurated on earth through the benevolence of Christ, 
it is reasonable and scriptural that it should be dissem- 
inated and perpetuated in all the earth through the 
benevolence of the Christian church. The following 
scriptural texts are to the point: "For ye know the 
grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, 
yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his 
poverty might be rich." As though Christ had said to 
his disciples, Ye know how full and free my grace has 
been to you, by a blessed experience, and having freely 
received, freely give; being saved yourselves, do what 
you can to save others ; tell them that I " by the grace 
of God" tasted "death for every man." As compassion 
for sinners was so deep an emotion and so mighty an 
impulse of the Savior, so ought it be with his followers., 
"When he saw the multitudes, he was moved with 
compassion on them, because they fainted, and were 
scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd." Sad as 
was this sight to Christ in the days of his incarnation, 
the condition of the people which so deeply moved his 
compassion was in every respect more conducive to 
happiness, both in this world and in the life to come, 
than is the condition of millions of heathen now living. 
If, therefore, this sight moved the Savior with compas- 
sion, and caused him to say "unto his disciples, The 
harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few; 
pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will 
send forth labourers into his harvest," then the greater 
multitudes of our day, who are not only as sheep having 
no shepherd, but who are "wretched, and miserable, and 
poor, and blind, and naked," deserve our sincere sym- 
pathy, for " Their throat is an open sepulchre ; with 



14 HISTORY OF THE 

their tongues they have used deceit ; the poison of asps 
is under their lips : whose mouth is full of cursing 
and bitterness : their feet are swift to shed blood : de- 
struction and misery are in their ways : and the way 
of peace have they not known : there is no fear of God 
before their eyes." 

The duty of the Christian church toward the unsaved, 
especially the heathen, is scripturally set forth in the 
following texts: "But to do good and to communicate 
forget not : for with such sacrifices God is well pleased." 
"Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid 
down his life for us : and we ought to lay down our lives 
for the brethren. But whoso hath this world's good, 
and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his 
bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love 
of God in him?" This spirit of compassion and benev- 
olence so forcibly taught in God's word, and so strik- 
ingly illustrated in Christ's life, with the injunction of 
the apostle, "Let this mind be in you, which was also in 
Christ Jesus," so very clearly teaches our duty, as it 
relates to the suffering poor and unsaved, that there can 
be no doubt upon this subject. Yea, more, the Savior's 
description of the day of judgment, and the words of 
approval which he as Judge will speak to his people, and 
the sentence which he will pronounce upon those who 
are not his, are exceedingly significant. Our willingness 
or unwillingness to care for the needy of earth, in tem- 
poral as well as in spiritual matters, according to Christ's 
teaching in the twenty-fifth chapter of St. Matthew, will 
determine the question as to whether it will be said to 
us, "Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom 
prepared for you from the foundation of the world," or, 
"Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, pre- 
pared for the devil and his angels." The reason given 



UNITED BRETHREN MISSIONS, 15 

by the Judge for blessing the one and cursing the other, 
is in the words, " Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one 
of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto 
me/' and, " Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least 
of these, ye did it not to me." The two points which 
should impress us in this narrative are, that Christ 
regards doing good to the poor as done to him, and 
neglecting them as neglecting him; and that a great 
blessing will come to those who help the suffering, and 
a great curse will come to those who neglect to clo so. 
TJiose who habitually neglect the suffering poor, do so 
at the peril of their souls. The following narrative is a 
good illustration of the spirit that should actuate Chris- 
tians toward the poor, whether they are suffering for 
want of temporal or spiritual blessings. It is also sug- 
gestive of how the Savior shows his approval of acts of 
self-sacrifice in behalf of suffering humanity. A Russian 
sentinel gave a comrade an overcoat on a cold, stormy 
night, and as a result took cold ; and died ; but before 
dying he said to others that he saw Christ coming to 
him clad in the same coat he had given his comrade on 
that wild, bleak night. 

It is scarcely necessary to repeat what has been so 
often told, and which the Scriptures clearly set forth, 
namely, that the souls of men are infinitely more valu- 
able than their bodies, and hence have stronger claims 
upon Christian sympathy and help than the latter. 
Where there is a true missionary spirit, born of the love 
we have for Christ, then, as the poet puts it, " labor is 
rest and pain is sweet" to those who undergo these 
things for the benefit of others. Mary Jones, a Welsh 
girl sixteen years of age, walked twenty-five miles to 
buy a Bible, that she might read it to others and be 
blessed herself thereby. The announcement, after she 



16 HISTORY OF THE 

had walked so far, that all the Bibles on hand were 
promised, only made her plead more earnestly that she 
might obtain the treasure she came for, and thereby she 
not only succeeded in getting a Bible, but also suggested 
to others the necessity of a society for the circulation of 
God's word, which led to the formation of the British 
Bible Society. This was a genuine missionary spirit. 

Still another case must be given. A Welsh woman, 
while away from her home, heard a minister preach who 
greatly edified the people. She invited him to visit her 
neighborhood and hold a meeting of several days. He 
promised he would when she came for him, little think- 
ing that she would make the long journey of a hundred 
and fifty miles to where he lived. Returning to her 
home, and making all arrangements, she announced that 
at such a time a meeting would be held. At the proper 
time she started on foot to go to the minister's home, 
and after a week's travel reached the place. True to his 
promise, he came, and many souls were brought to 
Christ. She did what she could. 



UNITED BRETHREN MISSIONS. 17 



CHAPTER II. 

Statistics showing moral condition of the world — Church of Christ 
has only been playing at missions — The heathen ignorant of God ; 
slaves to superstition ; worship their shadows, and gods made of 
wood, clay, iron, and stone — The gospel of Christ their only hope ; 
without this, utterly impossible for them to emerge from their sad 
state. 

Mr. Blackstone, of Chicago, who had for years given 
much attention to figures representing the moral and 
religious condition of the world, said at the Moody con- 
vocation, in August, 1886, that the population of the 
world was estimated at 1,434,000,000. Of these 835,000,- 
000 were heathen, 136,000,000 Protestants, 195,000,000 
Roman Catholics, 175,000,000 Mohammedans, and 35,- 
000,000 belonged to the Greek Church. 

The United States of America gave $65,000,000 to 
missions, $110,000,000 to education, $900,000,000 for 
intoxicating drinks, $600,000,000 for tobacco, and $5,000,- 
000 for ostrich feathers. In fifteen years, the so-called 
Christian nations had spent $15,000,000,000 for war, and 
only $300,000,000 for the extension of the gospel of 
Christ. 

One has well said that the church of Christ has only 
been playing at missions. It has not undertaken this 
work yet in earnest. Not a tithe has been attempted 
which might have been accomplished, even during the 
last century, which has done more than any other since 
the apostles' day in mission effort. 

Considering the sad condition of the heathen, and the 
ability of Christians to give them the gospel, as well as 



18 HISTORY OF THE 

the positive command of the Savior to "teach all 
nations," it is not very creditable to the followers of 
Christ, that so large a number of the earth's population 
are yet in the darkness of heathenism. 

The fact that Christians are largely in the minority, 
is conclusive proof that the church should greatly bestir 
itself to achieve the conquest of earth for Him whose 
right it is to reign. Though Christ tasted death for 
every man, and hath brought life and immortality to 
light through the gospel, the ignorance of the heathen 
respecting these things leaves them in the sad condition 
in this life that they would be in had no Savior come to 
the earth. 

Of God and his government, the gospel and its bless- 
ings, religion and its joys, heaven and its glories, hell 
and its sorrows, they have no just conceptions. They 
are emptied of all that is good, and filled with all that is 
evil, and such will be their condition until the gospel, 
which is the power of God unto salvation, is given them. 
No other power can elevate and save the degraded of 
earth. Without the gospel, civilization, legislation, and 
education fail to make people what they should be upon 
earth, and fail to fit them for the society of heaven. All 
these have been tried, but like the fetters and chains by 
which the demoniac was bound, they fail to tame the 
wild nature of men, and cause them to sit at the feet of 
Jesus, clothed and in their right mind. Christianity 
alone can do this. This is the power of God unto salva- 
tion, and saves men from the polluting evils of hea- 
thenism, such as witchcraft, purrowism, cannibalism, 
polygamy, slavery, and the many debasing cruelties of 
those who inhabit the dark places of the earth. 

A certain writer has well said that man is a religious 
animal and will worship some object; hence, in the 



UNITED BRETHKEN MISSIONS, 19 

absence of a knowledge of tiie true Gocl he becomes an 
idolator. Man also becomes assimilated into the char- 
acter of the object he worships. If the object be pure 
and exalted it will tend to the elevation and purification 
of the worshiper. If on the other hand the object wor- 
shiped be earthly, sensual, or devilish, these will be 
developed in the worshiper. Hence, the importance of 
worshiping God, who is exalted above all principality 
and power, and whose pure eyes cannot look upon sin 
with approval. 

It is said that the negroes of Benin, West Africa, at 
times worship their own shadows, which is quite as 
rational as to worship reptiles, animals, and many other 
objects, both animate and inanimate. The writer has 
seen gods made of wood, clay, iron, and stone, by the 
heathen of western Africa ; some male and others female ; 
so horrible and indecent in their appearance, as to make 
one turn away from them in disgust. How important 
that a knowledge of the true God be taught all men as 
the Savior commanded, "Go ye therefore and teach all 
nations. . . . Teaching them to observe all things what- 
soever I have commanded you : and, lo, I am with you 
alway, even unto the end of the world." The utter 
impossibility of the heathen being able to emerge from 
the sad state into which they have fallen, without the 
gospel, demands that it be given them, as the Savior 
directed. It is a sad comment upon the zeal and liber- 
ality of the professed followers of Christ, not to say a 
shame, that about two thirds of the human family are 
still in the grossest ignorance of God and the way of sal- 
vation, enduring all that is meant by the words, " The 
dark places of the earth are full of the habitations of 
cruelty." 

The following passages found in God's word, show very 



20 HISTORY OF THE 

forcibly the importance of the mission work enjoined 
upon the church : "He that winneth souls is wise;" 
"And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of 
the firmament : and they that turn many to righteous- 
ness as the stars forever and ever;" "Let him know, that 
he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way 
shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude 
of sins." Two remarks are in place. (1.) The human 
soul is the most valuable thing on earth. (2.) Winning 
it for Christ, the wisest enterprise in which anyone can 
engage. In other words, the salvation of the soul is the 
greatest blessing Avhich any mortal can gain, and the loss 
of it the greatest calamity which can befall anyone. 
This fact is most strikingly brought out in the question 
asked by Christ, "What shall it profit a man, if he shall 
gain the whole world and lose his own soul? or what 
shall a man give in exchange for his soul?" It is also 
said by the apostle, " There is none other name under 
heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved," 
— the name of Jesus. Xow if this be true, that salvation 
is only in the name of Jesus, and that the soul is worth 
more than anything else, yea, than all else, in this world, 
and that we may instrumentally save souls, as is so 
clearly taught in the scriptural textfc quoted, then the 
missionary enterprise, and the part Christians are ex- 
pected to act, have a momentous meaning. The follow- 
ing from St. Paul is to the point : " For whosoever shall 
call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. How 
then shall they call on him in whom they have not 
believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom 
they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a 
preacher? and how shall they preach, except they be 
sent ? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them 
that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings 
of good things!" 



UNITED BRETHREN MISSIONS. 21 



CHAPTER III. 

Certainty of work being- accomplished — True, there is still much 
skepticism at home and heathenism abroad — Much as the gospel 
has to contend with, its progress is so marked as to assure final 
and complete victory — A shame that the liquor traffic in heathen 
countries, and the prostitution of heathen women, permitted by 
Christian governments, greatly hinder the cause of Christian mis- 
sions. 

The Savior when asked respecting his second coming 
and the end of the world, said, " And this gospel of the 
kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness 
unto all nations ; and then shall the end come." I quote 
this passage now to show that there is no uncertainty 
as to the accomplishment of the work of the Master en- 
joined upon his followers nearly nineteen hundred years 
ago. Though he made no special arrangements by which 
it should be done, the fact that he said it shall be done 
assures us that in his own good time he will bring it to 
pass. It is true that he organized no board of missions, 
and has not provided financial support for his mes- 
sengers who are to preach the gospel of the kingdom. 
Besides he had no indorsement from the rich and influ- 
ential, nor had he the patronage of kings, or the sanction 
of the learned and great of earth. On the contrary, it 
was but a short time after he said that this great work 
should be done, that he was betrayed by one of his fol- 
lowers, denied by another, forsaken by all of them, and 
arrested, scourged, and crucified as a criminal. Even 
now the prophecy is unfulfilled, though so many hun- 
dreds of years have elapsed since it was made ; yet there 
is much to encourage in what has been done during the 



22 HISTORY OF THE 

present century. Though there is much heathenism 
abroad, and skepticism and ungodliness at home, the 
gospel is now preached to much of the world, and Christ 
has a large following, and of the best people living. 

One of the -sad things, and that which much retards 
the progress of Christianity in heathen lands, is the 
demoralizing influence of wicked men from enlightened 
countries, who indulge in the grossest vices among the 
heathen, who in many instances regard these as repre- 
senting the religion and civilization taught by Christ 
and his gospel. It is a humiliating fact that many 
heathen first hear the names of God and Christ in pro- 
fane swearing. Then the falsehoods, deceptions, frauds, 
drunkenness, debauchery, and other great vices perpe- 
trated among the heathen by those from Christian lands, 
do much to hinder the feeble efforts put forth to bring 
the world to a knowledge of the truth, as it is in Christ. 
The progress the gospel has made, considering the fact 
that it has had tenfold more to contend with than it 
would have had had the church been tenfold more active 
in disseminating the truth, is highly encouraging, and is 
proof conclusive that it will eventually triumph over all 
opposition. One of the great wants of our time is a 
higher type of Christian rectitude in the lives and leg- 
islation of churches and governments. The liquor traffic 
carried on in heathen countries, and the licensing of 
prostitution among the heathen for the accommodation 
of soldiers and sailors, thus dragging women into the 
lowest infamy, are things which should bring deep 
humiliation to the church of Christ, as well as all 
lovers of morality and good society. The reign of Christ 
cannot be universal until Christian governments abso- 
lutely cease to do evil and learn to do well, and this 
will be brought about by the combined efforts of the 
pure and good demanding such reforms. 



UNITED BRETHREN MISSIONS. 23 



CHAPTER IV. 

Missionary century — Dr. Cary, in 1792 — Opposed to missions because 
"We have no religion to spare" — Giving to others the best way to 
retain what we have — How a minister in Indiana was made happy — 
How a man was kept from committing suicide, and was led to help 
others. 

Dark as is the picture of the moral condition of the 
world, there is much to encourage the church in its 
efforts to bring it under the influence of Christianity. 
Prof. Christlieb very properly says this is the missionary 
century. Much more has been done in the last one 
hundred years than ever before, and the success achieved 
was thought to be impossible previous to this century. 

When Dr. Cary pleaded the cause of foreign missions, 
in 1792, he was told that " When God pleases to convert 
the heathen, he will -do it without your aid or mine." 
But a few years later, a General Assembly in Scotland 
declared that "the idea of converting the heathen was 
highly preposterous." When the American Board applied 
to the legislature of Massachusetts for a charter, about 
eighty years ago, to make it a legal organization whose 
aims were to give the gospel to the heathen, it was 
opposed on the ground that, "We have no religion to 
spare." That member of said legislature, as too many 
still, lost sight of the fact, "There is that scattereth, and 
yet increaseth ; and there is that withholdeth more than 
is meet, but it tendeth to poverty." The surest way to keep 
some things, is to give them freely to others. A man of 
extensive reading, and who has visited places of great 
note, by frequently communicating to his fellow-men 



24 HISTOEY OF THE 

the knowledge thus gained, thereby more surely retains 
it. This is true of the Christian religion ; the more we 
help others to a knowledge of the truth as it is in Christ 
Jesus, the more surely we will retain it ourselves. Not 
only did Solomon teach that the best way to increase 
was to scatter abroad, and that to withhold was to grow 
poor, but the same great truth is taught in the Xew 
Testament, " He which soweth sparingly shall reap also 
sparingly ; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap 
also bountifully."' Remember that this language of the 
apostle was used to excite the Corinthians to greater 
liberality, and that in the same connection he quoted, 
"It is more blessed to give than to receive." The divine 
economy, strange as it may seem," and different as it is 
from that which is purely worldly, is not only to freely 
give, because we have freely received, but to freely give 
that we may retain what we have, and continue to freely 
receive. On the principle that the one man who was 
nearly frozen to death brought increased warmth and 
strength to himself by exerting what he had to the 
utmost of his ability, in rubbing and helping a fellow- 
sufferer who was also caught in the terrible snow-storm 
which came upon them when far away from any habita- 
tion, so by helping others to the waters of the well of 
salvation, we draw fuller supplies therefrom for ourselves. 
"He that watereth shall be watered also himself." 

A minister in the State of Indiana, on a cold day 
met a girl on the street of the city in which he was 
preaching, who asked him for some money. Her ema- 
ciated face, scanty clothing, and imploring look, all 
indicated that she was indeed in want. This man of 
God, with but twenty-five cents in his pocket, and whose 
own wants were not as fully met as he desired by the 
salary he received, felt he ought to give something, and 



UNITED BRETHREN MISSIONS. 25 

as what little he had was all in one piece of money, he 
gave it and passed on. The following week, while in 
his study, he became unusually happy, so much so that 
it led him to wonder why it should be thus. He had 
not been asking God for special blessing, nor could 
he think of any reason why such ecstacy of joy should 
come to him thus unexpectedly. "While he was pon- 
dering the matter, and puzzling himself concerning it, 
suddenly the beggar-girl and his giving her the last 
piece of money he had. flashed upon him, and it was all 
made plain, and through his tears of joy, he raised his 
eyes to heaven and said, "O Lord, this is a good deal 
for twenty-five cents given to a poor girl." 

Another case is given, which illustrates how helping 
others saved a man from committing suicide, and made 
his life which had been wretched, happy. This man was 
on his way to the river to drown himself. Meeting a 
boy who asked money for his mother, who was greatly 
afflicted, the man thought as he was going to end his life 
he would not need money for himself, and gave the boy 
all he had in his pocket, which was several dollars. The 
gift so rejoiced the boy that he shouted, " This will make 
my mother and all of us happy."' The man concluded 
to accompany the boy and see what the effect would be. 
They went into a narrow alley of the city, and up a 
rickety stairway to a room in which a woman was lying 
on some straw. The boy ran up to her and shouted 
again, ''Oh, mamma, look at what this gentleman gave 
me," putting down all the money he had received. This 
made her happy also. Seeing the blessed effects of his 
gift, the man thought he would go back to his boarding- 
house where he had some more money, and distribute it 
among the poor before he would accomplish the end for 
which he had started in the morning, viz., to drown 



26 



HISTORY OF THE 



himself. As he had no friends to whom to leave his 
money this seemed a relief to him. On his way hack he 
began to reason on the situation, and the thought came 
to him that though he had nothing to live for especially, 
yet he might be a source of blessing to others with the 
money at his disposal. The result was the man did not 
commit suicide, but lived and learned to be happy by 
making others happy. These illustrations show fully 
that by doing good to others, good is received ; x>r, in other 
words, by blessing others, we bless ourselves. Nothing is 
more fully established than the fact that there is always 
a reflex influence coming to those who do good in the 
name of Christ, or who are prompted by pure motives 
in their efforts to promote the good of their fellow-men. 



UNITED BEETHREX MISSIONS. 21 



CHAPTER V. 

Work of the last hundred years — Over one hundred missionary organi- 
zations — Sixteen million dollars now, instead of five hundred thou- 
sand at the beginning of this century — The Bible translated into 
many languages, and circulating freely even in Catholic countries — 
Great success of missions in India, China, Japan, Madagascar, Sand- 
wich and Fiji islands. 

But now I wish to give a chapter showing that the 
work clone within the last one hundred years, especially 
the last fifty, in the mission cause, as well as the outlook 
for the future, is highly encouraging. There are now 
over one hundred missionary organizations, which have 
for their object the extension of the gospel into all 
the world. Taking into the account the opposition to 
missions which Drs. Cary, Judson, and similar great 
missionaries encountered when they urged that they 
might go to the heathen, and that they had no mission 
boards to whom they could offer their services, this fact 
is remarkable. It is only about fifty years since a 
German professor apologized for founding a missionary 
society in Fatherland. Now there are twenty-five upon 
the continent, and as many more in Great Britian alone. 
At the beginning of the present century not quite a half 
million dollars was given to missions, against sixteen 
millions now. Then there were two hundred ordained 
missionaries, and very few native helpers in foreign 
lands ; now there are three thousand ordained men, and 
thirty thousand other workers, native and foreign. These 
have not less than twelve thousand schools with forty 
thousand pupils in them. The Word of God has been 



28 HISTORY OF THE 

translated into two hundred and twenty-six languages, 
and is being widely distributed in many portions of the 
world. Even in Italy, Spain, Mexico, and other Catholic 
countries, where heretofore it was difficult to circulate 
the Holy Scriptures, owing to the teaching that the 
common people ought not to read the Bible, thousands 
now are gladly read, and thus the wa} T of the Lord is 
being prepared. The fact that many steam-presses are 
kept busy printing the word of God, and steam-ships 
and cars are carrying it in large supplies to the ends of 
the earth, with a large force in the field as colporteurs and 
missionaries to distribute it broadcast among all classes 
of men, is to say the least a very hopeful sign of the 
times. But not only are these ends accomplished by and 
through the organizations of the Christian world, but 
organizations for scientific and commercial purposes by 
their explorations, have also greatly increased the facil- 
ities for carrying God's word to the unenlightened, and 
in some instances prepared the way for the missionary. 
The moral aspect of the world is quite different from 
what it was one hundred years ago. The outlook is very 
much more promising for the speedy conquest of the 
world to Christ, as will appear still more fully in what 
is to follow. So much space is given to this subject for 
the purpose of convincing any who may have doubts as 
to the possibility of Christianity's becoming universal. 
When Dr. Cary entered India, less than one hundred 
years ago, he found three hundred millions of people 
practicing the Hindoo religion. Their system of caste 
and their superstition which had been degrading them 
for about thirty centuries, made their condition so 
deplorable that Dean Scholier exclaimed, "Where in 
all the world is there such a Satandom as India?' 1 
Truly it looked like a hopeless task to Christianize that 



UNITED BRETHREN MISSIONS. 29 

country. Now there are over one hundred thousand 
communicants there, though that field has never had a 
strong missionary force in it considering the number of 
people. 

Among the greatest achievements of the gospel, 
surpassing Messrs. Moody and Sankey's success, and 
equalling the day of Pentecost, is the wonderful work in 
routhern India under the labors of Messrs. Williams 
and Clough, who baptized over eight thousand persons 
in forty-six days. This, it will be remembered, occurred 
in " such a Satandom " as the above named Dean thought 
could not be found elsewhere in all the world. There 
had been so little done in this same field for several 
years previous that the Baptist Board, under whose 
auspices the work is carried on, seriously thought of 
abandoning it. Now for nearly twenty years remark- 
able success has attended their labors there. How simi- 
lar in this respect to our African mission, which was 
also so wanting in results as to cause our board to think 
of abandoning that field. The last ten years God has 
signally blessed our work there, though on account of 
war and for want of funds to extend the work as could 
have been done to great advantage, much less has been 
accomplished than under other circumstances might and 
doubtless would have been. 

Marked results have followed the work done in China. 
When Dr. Morrison entered Canton, in 1807, he found 
four hundred millions in China. He was shut out from 
the people largely as have been many other missionaries 
who went to that country to unfurl the banner of Christ. 
There are now in that country about twenty-five thou- 
sand Christian communicants, and twice that number 
who are nominally Christians. Then, in Madagascar the 
converts to Christianity, on good authority, are said to 



30 HISTORY OF THE 

be larger than all who were made in the Roman empire 
during the first three centuries of the Christian era. 
The queen herself is a Christian, and Christianity is the 
common law of that island. 

It was most fittingly written upon the tombstone of 
Rev. W. Geddis, in the Hebrides, " When he came here 
there were no Christians ; when he left us, there were no 
heathen." This was high praise to the power of the gos- 
pel to reform and save men, as well as to the faithfulness 
of the missionary who introduced it among that people. 

Africa, with its two hundred millions of souls was in 
a truly sad plight at the beginning of this century, and 
much of it is still, but very marked changes for the bet- 
ter have taken place. Offering human sacrifices, feasting 
on human flesh, worshiping hideous images made of 
wood, stone, earth, and iron, as well as snakes, crocodiles, 
and even Satan himself, and practicing the most detest- 
able barbarities, such as burning witches, murdering 
deformed infants, and doing other equally inhuman 
things, are much less frequent now than then, and they 
will continue to diminish all the time. It is not hard 
to understand why the Dutch settlers in South Africa 
treated the natives as they once did, and by a mistaken 
policy put the following words on their church doors : 
"Dogs and Hottentots are not admitted." Xow in 
Africa, where many of the people were so brutal as to be 
excluded from the houses of worship, there are at least 
one hundred thousand Christians, and many thousand 
more under Christian influence. By the explorations of 
Livingstone, Stanley, and others, the continent has been 
penetrated, roads opened, trading and mission stations 
established in important places, so that now multiplied 
thousands are reached by the gospel who were not at the 
beginning of the present century. 



UNITED BRETHREN MISSIONS. 31 

Missions in Burmah, India, Japan, Madagascar, Sand- 
wich and Fiji islands, and other places, have been a 
great success, and the converts in connection with Prot- 
estant missions in heathen countries are not far from 
three millions. More access is had to the Mohamme- 
dans, and Christian missions among them are succeeding 
better now than ever before. The papal power is weak- 
ening also in many countries, especially in Europe. 
The Greek Church is becoming more Christian — at least, 
less barbarous. All these things point in the right 
direction, and make the outlook hopeful for the future. 



32 HIS10EY OP THE 



CHAPTER VI. 

Sentiment becoming more friendly to missions — Churches which labor 
most earnestly to enlighten the heathen, grow most rapidly at home 
— This abundantly illustrated in our own church since 1853 — The 
old negro's and the Chinaman's remarks — "I^o, I am with you 
alway. '' is better understood now than formerly. 

But not only have very marked changes taken place in 
heathen lands and other countries in which the religious 
condition of the people has been greatly improved, in 
the last hundred years, but there has been a change of 
sentiment much more friendly to Christian missions 
in the most enlightened countries, which demands that 
they be prosecuted more vigorously. The expressions. 
"It is highly preposterous to suppose the heathen could 
be converted, and if God wants it done he would do 
it without our help,'" and that we ought not charter a 
missionary society because "We have no religion to 
spare," the one coming from a member of the legis- 
lature and the other from a doctor of divinity, we no 
longer hear : yea. more, we would laugh men to scorn 
who would make such heterodox statements now. and 
demand that their places be vacated for those who had a 
better understanding of the spirit as well as the letter of 
the New Testament. The facts are pretty generally 
received now. that the surest way for churches and 
nations to keep the religion of Christ, is to give it freely to 
others : also, that God does want the heathen converted, 
and that the divine plan is that this is to be done 
through human instrumentality. The fact is easily 
demonstrated, that the churches which are earnestly 
laboring to enlighten the heathen, grow no less rapidly 



UNITED BRETHREN MISSIONS. 33 

at home. Indeed those most liberal in the support of 
missions, as a rule, are most prosperous. The history 
of our own denomination is a good illustration of this 
truth. At the end of seventy-five years after our organ- 
ization, we had a membership not to exceed forty-two 
thousand. Then a board of missions was organized, 
and we heartily engaged in sending the gospel to the 
heathen, and destitute elsewhere, and in the next fifteen 
years we doubled our membership, and now, thirty-six 
years after, we have waked up to the fact that we have 
more to do than merely to enjoy the means of grace and 
reach heaven the easiest and cheapest way possible. God 
has increased our membership to two hundred and seven 
thousand, eight hundred. In these thirty-six years, all 
our colleges as well as Union Biblical Seminar}^ our 
Sunday-school work as also the church-erection and mis- 
sionary societies, have been commenced and built up. 
Our printing establishment, also, has been made all it is 
since then. The sentiment is becoming deeply fixed in 
many Christian hearts, that to help to save others, greatly 
conduces to our oiun spirituality and enjoyments. The ques- 
tion now with many Christians is not so much whether 
the heathen can be saved without the gospel, as it is 
whether we can be saved xoithout giving it to them. 

The quaint remark of the old negro, " The world do 
move" is true, and it moves in the direction of right. 
All things human must have a beginning, and a certain 
man is credited with saying that "There was an end to 
to all things, except to his wooden poker, which he had 
burned off, and hence it had no end." The command 
of Christ, "Preach my gospel to every creature," is no 
longer looked upon as being an impossibility, or as 
asking too much at the hands of Christians. On the 
same principle that a Chinaman exclaimed, " Too muxchee, 



34 HISTORY OF THE 

too muchee" when the writer told him ne ought not 
lie, nor steal, nor get drunk, but must be a good man, 
so many formerly thought it too much to ask the church 
to give the gospel to all men. The Chinaman men- 
tioned, assented to a part of what he was asked to do, 
but the last it.em, be a good man, was in his opinion 
making an unreasonable demand of him. How true 
that not a few of Christ's professed followers formerly 
thought that to be good themselves, and in addition to 
that, give money and time to enlighten and save their 
fellow-men, was asking too much. Sorry to say, they 
have not all died yet, but are very rapidly passing away 
and soon all will be gone. There was one great difficulty 
formerly in the way of earnest missionary work, owing 
to the fact, doubtless, that the latter part of Christ's 
commission, " Lo, I am with you alway, even unto the 
end of the world," was not fully understood. There was 
a time when Napoleon Bonaparte was called France, and 
also the " one hundred thousand." He was so called 
because his presence on the battle-field was regarded as 
being worth one hundred thousand soldiers, and because 
he controlled the government, army, navy, and all that 
France possessed. It is said that when the intelligence 
reached him that his navy was destroyed, which was on 
the same day the scepter of Prussia was surrendered to 
him, he petulantly replied, " I can't be everywhere." 

How different is it with the Captain of our salvation, 
who can be everywhere and who can give victory all 
along the line, which he does in his own good time, and 
in ways most wonderful. His words, " Lo, I am with 
you," are now more and more understood to mean, " I 
am with you " to help you disciple all nations. Christ 
is the church, in a higher, truer sense than Bonaparte 
was France, and hence, what he directs it to do, can and 
will be fully accomplished. 



UNITED BRETHREN MISSIONS. 35 



CHAPTER VII. 

Illustrations of early piety — A boy's logic too much for his father — 
"We have heathen at home," no reason for not sending the gospel 
abroad — Practicing self-denial makes us strong in the Lord — The 
efforts of Cary, Judson, Livingstone, and others quickened into new 
life the churches they left behind — A minister's remark, that what 
he had given to God's cause was all he had left to him. 

There is still another change in Christian lands 
which marks the nineteenth century as one of genuine 
progress, and makes the outlook very hopeful. Fifty 
years ago it was not thought proper for young people 
to make public profession of religion until they were 
eighteen or twenty years of age, except in very rare 
instances, such as occurred in the cases of Bishop Simp- 
son and Dr. Doddridge, who became Christians while 
mere lads. The writer will never forget how a small 
girl of eight years of age, whose mother was a devout 
Christian, pleaded with her to allow her to go forward 
and give her hand to the minister, who at the close of 
communion service invited persons to thus indicate 
their desire to unite with the church. Though more 
than forty years ago, the scene is quite as fresh as if it 
had happened yesterday. The audience was standing, 
and there was a mother, who had prayed for the early 
conversion of all her children, with her last born asking 
if she might unite with the church, deeply impressed to 
do so by the Spirit of the Lord. The mother could not 
say no, nor did she feel safe to say yes, and so she said 
nothing. The child went forward, and by the joy which 
beamed from her young face, she showed that she well 



36 HISTORY OF THE 

understood what it meant to submit to Christ. She 
lived less than two years after that occurrence. Being 
a close neighbor and her Sunday-school superintendent, 
her manner of life and her calm and triumphant death 
are well known to the writer. In her last hours she 
often said she was going to be with Jesus. Another 
instance: A minister, who had settled near Chicago, 
was asked by his son to allow him to unite with the 
church. He was told that he had better wait till he was 
stronger, and then he could hold out better. His father, 
having a country congregation, kept some sheep. He 
was spending a Sunday assisting a neighboring pastor, 
on a communion occasion, having gone on Saturday and 
not returning until Monday. While he was away the 
weather became very cold, and this caused him to feel 
some uneasiness about his sheep, especially the lambs, 
which were quite young. As his son was almost always 
with him when he stabled and fed his sheep, and took a 
deep interest in their welfare, he comforted himself with 
the thought that the boy would take good care of them. 
As early as he could on Monday, he reached his home, 
and at once asked the boy how the sheep had fared, 
saying, " You stabled them and fed them, and brought 
all the lambs in, did you ? " The son replied, " I brought 
in the sheep but left the lambs out." The father, sur- 
prised and somewhat chagrined, asked, " Why, what 
made you do that ?" The boy replied, " I left them out 
so they would be stronger and could stand it better when 
stabled," adding, " That is what you told me, father, when 
I asked to be taken into the sheepfold, and if it is good 
for boys, why not for lambs?" The boy's logic was too 
much for his father, and at the next communion he was 
admitted into the church, happy to be counted as one of 
Christ's sheep. Advice like that of the old lady to her 



UNITED BRETHREN MISSIONS. 37 

son, " Stay out of the water until you can swim," is no 
longer thought to be best for children. They of right 
belong to the church, and should be welcomed to its 
privileges when they feel the need of salvation, and 
desire to confess Christ. 

As the hospital is the place to get well under the 
skillful treatment and care of doctor and nurse, so the 
church is now considered a proper place to be cured of 
the malady of sin, under the guidance of the ministers 
of Christ, and by the help of fathers and mothers 
and Sunday-school teachers caring for the lambs of the 
flock. Surely, the sooner children are rescued from 
the paths of worldliness and sin, the better, and it 
would be well were multiplied thousands in it who are 
still out, provided they received such attention as a 
spiritual church would give. A genuine missionary 
spirit led to the present great zeal in behalf of Sunday- 
schools, and the formation of young people's Christian 
associations, and temperance organizations, all of which 
not only labor to rescue the perishing, but to snatch the 
children and young people from the paths of Satan in 
the days of their youth. Christians are called co-workers 
with Christ — "as workers together with him." As 
such they are expected to be ready for every good word 
or work. The apology made, '• We have heathen at 
home," as a reason for not giving money to send the 
gospel abroad, has lost all its force in the face of the fact 
that those who are most zealous for the cause of foreign 
missions do most for the home work of the church, as a 
rule. There is harmony in all the divine arrangements, 
and hence it is reasonable that earnest Christian workers 
do what they can everywhere to save mankind. 

God carries forward his work through the instrumen- 
tality of the church. He might have written his law 



38 HISTORY OF THE 

"upon the sky, and commissioned angels to preach the 
gos]3elj and also created a gold mine to furnish all money 
needed for charity, but he saw it was best that his 
people, for their development in benevolence, sympathy, 
and self-denying labor, should do the work he requires 
in his word. How strong in God and in the power of 
his might are Christians made by practicing self-denial ! 
Faithful Sunday-school teachers often feel it would be a 
great relief not to have to study the lesson and go_±o 
school when other cares press upon them, but how much 
such persons grow in grace and in the knowledge of 
Christ by faithfulness ! Xow, as they increase their 
knowledge of God's word, and their strength to fight 
the battles of the Lord by thus laboring to help their 
pupils, so praying, working, and paying to give the 
gospel to the heathen is truly a means of grace to 
those who do these things in the spirit of the Master. 
"While the efforts of Cary, Judson, Livingstone, and 
others were put forth to bring those to Christ who knew 
nothing of him, how truly were Christians in the lands 
from which they had gone quickened into new spiritual 
life. Their going abroad did more to cause the churches at 
home to consecrate themselves fully to the Master, than they 
could have done had they remained at home. Not only were 
the denominations to which they belonged much pros- 
pered at home, by becoming deeply interested in foreign 
missions, but all Christendom was greatly helped. 

How true the statement made by a Christian minister, 
who at one time had considerable property, all of which 
was swept away by a great flood, leaving him penniless, 
that what he had given to the Lord's cause was all that 
was left to him. Being made in a meeting-house that 
was largely built by the money of said minister, and 
which had been a great blessing to the town in which 



UNITED BRETHREN MISSIONS. 39 

it was, this declaration was received with joy by the 
people, who were made happy to see how glad he was 
that while he had money he used it freely for God's 
cause. All knew that if it had not thus been used, it 
too would have been swept away. 



40 HISTORY OF THE 



CHAPTER VIII. 

From 1853 to 1857. 

Organization of Missionary Society — Work commenced in Missouri, 
Michigan, Nebraska, Canada, and California — Missionaries sent to 
Africa — Co-operation with American Missionary Association — Prog- 
ress of work upon home, frontier, and foreign missions during the 
four years. 

The preceding pages have prepared the reader to more 
fully understand and appreciate the history of missions 
in the Church of the United Brethren in Christ during 
the period embraced in this volume, which is from the 
year 1853 to 1889. 

At the General Conference which met in the month of 
May, 1853, the Home, Frontier, and Foreign Missionary 
Society was organized. Bishop J. J. Glossbrenner was 
elected president, Rev. J. C. Bright, corresponding secre- 
tary, and Rev. J. Kemp, treasurer, and these, with nine 
other persons, some of whom were laymen, constituted 
its board. Mr. Bright was a zealous and efficient worker 
in the cause of missions, and by the stirring addresses 
which he delivered at the annual conferences and other 
places he visited, aroused the Church to a sense of its 
duty in behalf of the heathen and all who were without 
the means of grace, such as it had never before experi- 
enced. Money came into the treasury freely, and work 
was commenced in earnest. Two missions were located, 
one in Southwestern Missouri and the other in Canada, 
and all the arrangements were made to send missionaries 
to Africa during the year. 

The first annual meeting of the board occurred in Wester- 



UNITED BRETHREN MISSIONS. 41 

ville, Ohio, June 1, 1854. An executive committee had 
been constituted by the board soon after its organiza- 
tion, consisting of five of its own members, which had 
frequently met during the year and transacted a good 
deal of business, as the results of the year's work show. 

Revs. J. Conner and J. Kenoyer had headed a colony 
which had gone overland to Oregon, in the summer of 
1853, for the purpose of establishing the Church in that 
new and far-off land. They had held their first quar- 
terly meeting in that country some weeks before the 
first annual meeting of the board in June, 1854, to 
which they sent a report, which stated that they had 
witnessed a number of conversions and accessions to the 
Church as the result of their labors in Oregon, and that 
the outlook was encouraging. Rev. J. Terrel, who had 
been sent to Southwestern Missouri during the year, 
reported that his success was quite satisfactory, and that 
forty more missionaries could find plenty to do in that 
part of the State. . " 

A mission conference had also been formed in the 
State of Michigan, respecting which the secretary in his 
report to the board said, "No field in the Church bids 
fairer to yield a plentiful harvest than this." During 
the year ex-Bishop Erb had ■commenced a mission in 
Canada, and reported to the board, "The gospel wants 
are numerous, and the prospects for our church are good 
here." Missions had been commenced also in the states 
of Kansas, Nebraska, and California, and steps taken to 
project missions among the Germans of the United 
States and in behalf of the heathen of West Africa. 
Rev. W. J. Shuey was appointed a missionary to Africa 
at this first meeting of the board. 

The board left home missions to the management of 
the self-supporting annual conferences, each conference, 



42 HISTORY OF THE 

by the constitution of the missionary society, being a 
branch of the parent society, and as such controlled its 
own missions. Some of the annual conferences had 
been doing home missionary work on a small scale, 
before the creation of the board of missions in 1853, but 
now that a general organization was effected, including 
the whole Church as its patron, and the whole world as 
its field of labor, new life was infused into the annual 
conferences, so that they did much more for home mis- 
sions than before, besides giving quite liberally for 
frontier and foreign missions. 

The following action of the board, at its first meeting, 
shows the spirit which it possessed and the views it 
entertained as to the work to be done : 

'"We originated in a revival of religion among the 
Germans of America, and our first preachers were home 
missionaries, hunting up the destitute. Thousands of 
converts were made, who were gathered into other 
churches, as our own German ministers did not organize 
them. The spirit of Church extension has been con- 
stantly increasing among us, and, God be praised, our 
labors have been owned and blessed in the conversion 
to Christ of thousands of precious souls. The conver- 
sion of the millions who have found homes in America, 
and of those who are annually seeking homes here, 
is a work of great importance. German rationalism. 
so called, has its hundreds of propagators in this land ; 
atheism, bold and fool-hardy, has its zealous advocates, 
and the depravity of thousands causes them to wish 
in their hearts there were no God. Societies claiming 
to be Christian, but denying every fundamental doc- 
trine of the Bible, are industriously making proselytes 
to their errors; Roman Catholicism is employing all its 
resources to gain possession of this land; the Protestant 



UNITED BRETHREN MISSIONS. 43 

evangelical churches, most of them, have greatly weak- 
ened their moral power- by the unholy compromises 
which they have made with popular sins. As a conse- 
quence of these things, a very large proportion of the 
people are ungodly. Hence a mighty work of grace is 
needed in every state, county, and town in America. 
Watchmen should go forth throughout this land in the 
true spirit of evangelists. In our efforts for the salva- 
tion of the heathen, we should not diminish our labors 
at home. Millions here are yet without God and hope 
in the world. 

"We will continue to conjure our brethren by all their 
love of that most lovely One who gave his life for the 
redemption of the whole human race, by all their deep 
sympathy for down-trodden and degraded humanity, 
and by every throb of the heart that beats in the direc- 
tion of the good and brave, to listen to the voice of 
lamentation and woe coming up from the continent of 
Africa. 

'"'In the propagation of Christianity, both at home 
and abroad, we regard the law of God as paramount 
to all human compacts and as the foundation of moral 
obligation. Hence no human law can be binding upon 
the conscience if it clearly comes in conflict with the 
law of God. 

''The first Monday evening in each month shall be set 
apart for prayer for the success of missions." 

Thirty-five years have come and gone since these very 
excellent resolutions were put into the minutes of the 
board. So sound in doctrine, evangelical in spirit, and 
applicable to the present time are they that they are 
worthy a place in the history of missions — yea, they 
constitute a very important part of the history couched 
in the pages of this book. The board felt that to accom- 



44 HISTORY OF THE 

plish the work God had for the Church to do in the great 
cause of missions, it must adopt scriptural methods of 
working, and pray much for the divine blessing upon its 
efforts to save men. 

The second annual meeting of the board convened in 
Cincinnati, Ohio, July 26, 1855. The secretary in his 
report said: "At the last annual meeting, Rev. "W. J. 
Shuey received an appointment to Africa. Subsequently 
Dr. D. C. Kumler and Rev. D. K. Flickinger accepted ap- 
pointments from the executive committee. They sailed 
from New York in January, and reached Freetown, Sierra 
Leone, the first of March. After having accomplished 
what they conceived to be their duty, Messrs. Shuey and 
Kumler returned to this country. Mr. Flickinger re- 
mained. He feels he has a work to do there, and is pre- 
pared to suffer, and, if need be, die at his post." 

The American Missionary Association of New York 
had commenced a mission about ten years before, one 
hundred and twenty miles south of Freetown, known as 
Mendi mission, consisting of three stations. Rev. George 
Thompson was in charge at Kaw-Mendi, Rev. J. S. Brooks 
at Mo-Tappan, and Mr. D. W. Burton at Good Hope 
station. The last named is located in Bonthe, a town 
of considerable size at present. Other American mis- 
sionaries were at these stations, all of whom showed 
great kindness to the United Brethren missionaries. 
The secretary of the American Missionary Association, 
Rev. George Whipple, had given them letters of intro- 
duction to those in charge of Mendi mission, and the 
terms upon which the missionaries of the two societies 
should co-operate. Our missionaries made Good Hope 
station their headquarters, it being favorably located for 
the work of exploration to which they gave themselves 
while the three remained in Africa, which was between 



UNITED BRETHREN MISSIONS. 45 

two and three months. During this time, Mo-Kelli, on 
the Jong river, was selected as a place for beginning. 

Soon after Messrs. Shuey and Kumler returned home, 
Mr. Flickinger became fully convinced that it was im- 
practicable to open a mission station at Mo-Kelli, as it 
was about forty-five miles inland, and ten miles above 
the falls in the Jong river, and hence very difficult to 
reach from the coast. It is not yet occupied by us, but 
it ought to be added to the four hundred towns into 
which our itinerants have gone, and are going. Mr. 
Flickinger visited many places to find a suitable loca- 
tion, having ascended the Big Boone river twice, a dis- 
tance of one hundred miles, once alone in a native canoe, 
and another time with Mr. Brooks, in his boat; but 
owing to many hindrances, he failed to do so. Mean- 
while, he obtained valuable information of the country 
and its wants, and preached the gospel to many heathen. 
At this meeting, the board appointed him superinten- 
dent of the African mission, instead of Mr. Shuey, who 
had occupied the position up to that time. It also ap- 
pointed two more men to go to Africa, but for some 
reason they never went. 

The frontier missions of the Church progressed more 
satisfactorily, during the year, than the foreign. Michi- 
gan Conference, which had been organized but a little 
over a year, reported an increase of one hundred and 
ninety-five members. The work in Oregon had gone for- 
ward well, and mission conferences had been organized 
in Oregon and Canada with rather flattering prospects. 
Missions in Kansas and Nebraska were strengthened by 
an additional missionary to each, and were succeeding 
well. The German missions in Ohio and Indiana had 
been prosperous ; but far less had been attempted than 
should have been done on this field. There had been a 



46 HISTORY OF THE 

missionary appointed to California, but he failed to go. 
Missions had been projected also in the states of Minne- 
sota and Tennessee, and the outlook was good through- 
out this department of work. 

The following, in the secretary's report to this meet- 
ing, shows conclusively that efforts to enlighten the 
heathen, and give the gospel to the destitute in frontier 
fields, were very effectual in stimulating greater liber- 
ality for home missions: "Contributions to our home 
missions this year exceed those of last year $2,200. We 
have ninety itinerants in this field, who preach at over 
six hundred places, and who are winning many souls to 
Christ." The secretary's report also said : " It is vain' to 
suppose that suitable houses of worship can be built in 
new states and territories without help from abroad. 
Let a systematic plan for raising a Church-extension 
fund be brought before the conferences for their adop- 
tion." Successful missionary work developes many 
wants, such as building churches, parsonages, establish- 
ing Sunday-schools, and supplying them with books and 
papers. To do these things, money is needed. The aim of 
the board has been to train the people upon its missions 
to do what they can. It also furnishes help when needed. 

At this meeting the duties of the executive committee 
were defined, as follows: "(1.) It shall execute the ex- 
pressed wishes of the board. (2.) It shall fill vacancies 
occasioned by death or resignation. (3.) It may suspend 
missionaries in cases of immorality, or manifest unfit- 
ness for the work. (4.) It shall make additional appro- 
priations in cases of extraordinary emergencies. (5.) It 
shall settle questions concerning the management of 
missions. (6.) It shall exercise a vigilant supervision 
of the whole missionary work. (7.) It shall stand for 
the board in all cases requiring immediate action." 



UNITED BRETHREN MISSIONS. 47 

The board hela its third annual meeting in Mt. Pleas- 
ant, Pennsylvania, June 5, 1856. Mr. Flickinger had 
reached the United States about two weeks before, his 
physician in Africa having ordered him away from there 
for a change. During his stay in Africa he had several 
severe attacks of fever, his life was despaired of, and 
for several months before he left, he was unable to work. 
Respecting him and the work in Africa, the board said: 
"We regard it as of the utmost importance that our 
work in Africa be prosecuted vigorously. We are satis- 
fied that Rev. D. K. Flickinger did his duty as a mis- 
sionary in Africa, and welcome him as a brother beloved 
in the Lord to this meeting." Here the board appointed 
Revs. W. B. Witt and J. K. Billheimer to go to Africa 
with Mr. Flickinger the following December, which they 
did. 

Before Mr. Flickinger left Africa in the spring of 1856, 
he purchased, by the advice of the executive committee, 
a house and lot in Freetown, as a home for missionaries. 
There were no hotels there at which they could stop, 
and as this was the place they must land from vessels, or 
embark to go on them, and as they had occasion to be in 
Freetown to get supplies of food and medicines, it was 
thought wise to have such a home. Such necessity still 
exists there, as this house had to be sold in 1861 to get 
money to keep the mission alive ; other strange sacrifices 
were also made, which will appear further on in this 
narrative. It is a great pity this property had to be 
sold, as more than its cost — two thousand, four hundred 
dollars — has been paid in rent for a mission-house in 
Freetown since its sale. Such a mission-house has been, 
and will likely always be a necessity as long as our mis- 
sion continues in that part of Africa. 

The secretary, in his report to the board at this meet- 



48 HISTORY OF THE 

ing, said that the year closed prosperously, which should 
call forth praise to God. In Oregon, Nebraska, Kansas, 
Missouri, and Canada, the work had gone forward well, 
and the new missions which had been commenced during 
the year, had a good beginning. He also said there were 
good openings for projecting new missions, but the lack 
of both men and money prevented this. One very grati- 
fying fact which began to be developed, was the increase 
of home missionary work and success within the bounds 
of the annual conferences. Mission conferences and 
some frontier missions were becoming self-supporting. 
An aggressive spirit, largely awakened because of the 
missionary activity in the Church, pervaded every de- 
partment of church work. 

The following, taken from the minutes of this meet- 
ing, shows the disposition of the board in respect to the 
work to be done at home and abroad : 

"We would not conceal the fact that the moral and 
physical condition of Africa presents gigantic obstruc- 
tions to the progress of the gospel ; and were it not for 
the vast importance connected with its evangelization, 
and especially for the positive command of Christ to go 
there and preach, we should abandon the work in des- 
pair. AVe trust the Church has counted the cost, and 
will stand by the board in every emergency. 

"It should be the object of the board to obtain the 
contributions of every member of the Church, because 
it is not the benefactions of the rich only, but the con- 
tributions of the comparatively poor, accompanied by 
their tears and prayers, that are to be relied on mainly 
to swell the great stream of Christian benevolence : and 
these can best be secured by the sermons, visits, and 
systematic solicitation of faithful pastors." 

As an illustration of how marvelously successful the 



UNITED BRETHREN MISSIONS. 49 

work done by the board was, in some instances, the 
following extract from the report of one of the branch 
secretaries, made at this meeting, is to the point : 

" We have now five circuits, and seven missions, where 
four years since we had only two missions. Then we 
had less than one hundred members, where now we have 
thirteen hundred. At our last annual conference we 
made arrangements to sustain thirteen home missions, 
and two have been taken up since, making, in all, fifteen 
missions ; and the Lord is blessing our labor on all these 
new fields. Four fifths of the money necessary to main- 
tain these missions is paid by the missions themselves." 

Then, as now, there were many places, even in our 
own country, greatly needing missionaries. In many of 
these, the faithful preaching of the gospel brought forth 
abundant fruit, even a hundred-fold. It will be so until 
the end of , time, as it has been ever since the great 
apostle to the Gentiles declared: "It [the gospel] is 
the power of God unto salvation to every one that be- 
lieveth." "He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing 
precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, 
bringing his sheaves with him." 

The fourth annual session of the board took place in 
Hartsville, Indiana, May 8, 1857, the week previous to 
the sitting of the General Conference. Messrs. Flick- 
iriger, Witt, and Billheimer had reached Freetown in 
January. The same vessel which carried them there 
from New York City, proceeded on to Liberia, and Mr. 
Flickinger went with it, to see if that was a hopeful 
field for mission work. He remained three weeks, when 
he returned to Sierra Leone, fully persuaded that, dark 
as was the outlook in the Sherbro country, it was the 
place to prosecute the work. Before he returned to the 
United States, he had frequently visited Chief Caulker 



50 HISTORY OF THE 

to get a site near the town of Shaingay. He now re- 
doubled his efforts, and after several more trials, with 
the help of others, especially the assistance of D. W. 
Burton, of the Mendi mission, finally received a promise 
of one hundred acres of land, one half mile from Shain- 
gay, which has proved to be an exceedingly pleasant and 
healthy place for a mission station. The most permanent 
and valuable buildings of Sherbro mission are located 
here, including a good missionary residence with six 
rooms ; chapel, thirty by forty-five feet ; Clark Theologi- 
cal Training-School building, thirty-one by sixty-six 
feet, and three stories high, all built of stone and cov- 
ered with slate or iron. Other valuable improvements 
are also here. 

Mr. Flickinger returned to the United States soon after 
securing this site, it being understood that he should do 
so as soon as this object was accomplished, and Messrs. 
Witt and Billheimer had a settled place in which to 
work. He reached the place of the annual meeting the 
day after it commenced work, and also attended the 
General Conference. 

The report of the secretary, at this meeting of the 
board, showed that the mission conferences in Oregon 
and Michigan were flourishing, and that substantial 
work was done in Canada, Missouri, Minnesota, Kansas, 
Nebraska, and Tennessee. There were serious obstacles 
in the way of the work of Missouri and Kansas, growing 
out of the agitation of political questions, the extension 
of slavery into Kansas being the source of bitter oppo- 
sition between pro-slavery and anti-slavery people. Yet, 
notwithstanding all this, God blessed faithful missionary 
work to the salvation of precious souls. 

During the year, home missions had been prosperous. 
Quite a number had been commenced by the annual 



UNITED BRETHREN MISSIONS. 51 

conferences during the quadrennial term, and they had 
mostly been successful, thus increasing the membership 
of the Church to a great extent. The outlook was very 
encouraging, both in the home and frontier departments. 
The following financial exhibit, for the quadrennial 
term ending May, 1857, with those that will hereafter 
be given at the end of every four years, will indicate the 
comparative growth of missionary zeal in the Church, 
and show where the money given the board has been ex- 
pended. These figures are taken from the statement of 
the treasurer of the missionary society, as published in 
his report of 1888, and are sufficiently full and reliable 
for all practical purposes. 

Africa ,...., $ 5,814 69 

Oregon 3,892 00 

Kansas 2,450 00 

Missouri 1,750 00 

Michigan 1,000 00 

Ohio German Conference 1,350 00 

Minnesota 300 00 

Canada V. 2,379 18 

Nebraska 1,500 00 

Tennessee 460 00 

Total $20,895 87 

To this there must be added at least twelve hundred 
dollars for contingent expenses of the board. Then the 
annual conferences expended upon the home missions 
of the Church during the four years, including what was 
paid by these missions toward the support of those who 
served them, $60,101.21. This makes for home, frontier, 
and foreign missions, during the first four years, not 
including the contingent expenses of the board, a grand 
total of $80,998.08. The blessing of God was upon the 
work undertaken by the society from the beginning, 
under the efficient leadership of its secretary, Rev. J. C. 
Bright. 



52 HISTORY OF THE 



CHAPTER IX. 

From 1857 to 1S61. 

General Conference of 1857 — Illness of secretaries — Publication of 
Missionary Telescope — Financial crisis— Many conversions — House 
sent to Africa — Missionaries shipwrecked — The work successful. 

The fifth annual meeting of the board was held in 
Lebanon, Pennsylvania, May 20, 1858. The General 
Conference of 1857 re-elected Bishop Glossbrenner presi- 
dent ; Rev. J. Kemp, treasurer, and Rev. D. K. Flickin- 
ger, corresponding secretary, with the usual number of 
members necessary to constitute the Board of Missions. 
A financial crisis swept over the country in the summer 
of 1857, which greatly paralyzed business. As the mis- 
sionary society commenced the term with a debt of 
several thousand dollars, and with plans formed to work 
upon a larger scale than formerly, this sudden and seri- 
ous turn in the finances made it difficult for the officers 
of the society to pay bills as they became due. At one 
time one of them gave a mortgage on his home in order 
to raise one thousand dollars then due. Money was not 
as plenty at that time as it has been since the war of 
1861, and the society had no permanent fund as at pres- 
ent to give it credit, so that its work was much hindered 
for lack of means to carry it on. The secretary became 
seriously ill in September, and consequently was utterly 
disabled for work during the remainder of the year 1857. 
He resigned his office in October, and Rev. J. C. Bright, 
his predecessor, became his successor until the annual 
meeting, but his health also failing in the meantime, he 
was unable to attend this meeting. At that time money 



UNITED BRETHREN MISSIONS. 53 

was largely raised by efforts made by the secretaries, and 
as they were disabled much of the year, and the financial 
pressure was so disastrous to business in general, the 
outlook for raising money, especially for missions, was 
very dark when the board met in 1858. 

The General Conference had ordered the publication 
of a paper to be called the Missionary Telescope, to com- 
mence with the year 1858, five numbers of which were 
already issued, and had helped to get the claims of the 
society before the Church ; but the cost of publication 
exceeded the receipts from subscription, owing some- 
what to the fact that all life directors and life members 
of the society received it gratis. The year, however, was 
an unusually prosperous one in securing conversions 
and accessions to the Church through the labors of the 
missionaries. Michigan Conference had become self-sup- 
porting, and all the mission conferences were reported 
prosperous except Missouri, for which laborers could not 
be secured. In the month of March, the Parkersburg 
Mission Conference, in West Virginia, was organized. A 
mission had been commenced in Kentucky, and another 
projected in Massachusetts. A wooden house, twenty- 
four by thirty feet, prepared in New York, all ready to 
be set up, had been sent to Africa, and was erected near 
Shaingay. This was used as a school-room, chapel, and 
missionary residence for several years. Rev. J. K. Bill- 
heimer had the main charge of the work there. Dr. Witt 
was elsewhere most of the time, and itinerated exten- 
sively in preaching the gospel. Everything was going 
forward as well as could be desired, as the following 
message received from them by the board just before it 
met, shows 

" We are making a desperate effort to get the house up 
this season, now that we have received the deed for the 



54 HISTORY OF THE 

beautiful location selected. The work is going on as 
well as could be expected under the circumstances. We 
have considerable ground cleared. As we were coming 
from Shaingay to Freetown a few days ago, we were 
wrecked upon the Banana Islands, and barely escaped 
drowning. Indeed, we are not yet out of danger, having 
had to exert ourselves violently. We lost from thirty to 
forty dollars' worth of goods, but were thankful to get 
away with our lives. We are willing to live on rice and 
fish, while our brethren live in luxury in America, if 
they will support this mission." 

Strange words to come from two men, who were in a 
far-off land, away from friends and the endearments of 
Christian society. Did they mean what they wrote, just 
after being shipwrecked, and narrowly escaping with 
their lives? "We are willing to live on rice and fish, while 
our brethren live in luxury in America, if they will support 
this mission.'''' Yes, they meant it all, and in their labors 
and sufferings in Africa and elsewhere, showed that they 
did. Alas ! the Church here at home did not render 
sufficient aid to enable them to carry forward the work 
of the mission advantageously. They labored under 
many discouragements for a time, when Dr. Witt came 
home, because the meagre support given the mission 
in Africa precluded the possibility of his laboring there 
longer to advantage. 

Home missions had enjoyed a successful year, and 
all was going forward satisfactorily in every department 
of our work where the effort was made. The lack of 
money and the ill-health of the secretaries was a serious 
drawback. Mr. Bright was chosen secretary at this meet- 
ing for the balance of the quadrennial term, but his 
continued ill-health prevented him from doing any- 
thing. Mr. Flickinger had accepted labor elsewhere, and 



UNITED BRETHREN MISSIONS. 55 

on that account, as well as the fear that ill-health would 
not permit him to perform the duties of secretary, de- 
clined the position permanently, but did the office work 
pending a choice to be made, and after a few months 
accepted it for the balance of the quadrennial term. 

The sixth annual session of the board was held in Milforcl, 
Indiana, May 11, 1859. Dr. Witt had returned from 
Africa, leaving Rev. J. K. Billheimer the only laborer 
the society had there. He wrote in January that though 
the house sent was accommodating him fairly well for 
school-room, chapel, and residence, there was a necessity 
for the place of residence to be separate, and he had 
commenced such a building, which was to be of stone? 
thirty by forty-five feet. It was well planned, but owing 
to a lack of money, it was not finished until the year 
1864. Mr. Billheimer was encouraged with the work, for, 
notwithstanding the number of scholars was few and the 
congregations for divine worship small, he saw that good 
impressions were made among the children and adults 
who attended. 

Early in the year, Rev. D. Shuck was sent to open a 
mission in Central Missouri, but owing to the slavery 
agitation there, very little was done. This also seriously 
hindered our work in Kansas, Kentucky, and Tennessee. 
Pro-slavery people not only did all they could to make 
the work of the missionaries a failure, but threatened 
them with violence also. The following, taken from the 
Knoxville Whig, and which was copied very extensively 
throughout the South, shows the attitude of pro-slavery 
people to an anti-slavery church sending missionaries 
into their midst. The beginning of the article reads : 
"look out for an abolitionist. 

"Rev. John Ruebush, a missionary of the United 
Brethren, is laboring in the vineyard of Upper Tennes- 



56 HISTORY OF THE 

see, and is a very popular man among the negroes. He 
is agent for the sale of divers books and publications, 
hailing from Dayton, Ohio. Among the books are, 
1 Lawrence on Slavery,' 'Uncle Tom's Cabin,' and such 
infamous publications. It is astonishing that a mission- 
ary should be tolerated in East Tennessee. "We hope 
this man and his associates will run off half of the 
negroes where they labor. This would bring the citi- 
zens to their senses." 

During the year, Xebraska and Wisconsin mission 
conferences were organized. Ministers had gone to Wis- 
consin from Northern Illinois, and having made a good 
beginning, the General Conference of 1857 ordered the 
formation of a mission conference, which was not accom- 
plished until the year following. Revivals of great power 
had taken place in Minnesota, Oregon, and Parkersburg. 
A lack of laborers kept a number of other missions weak, 
as in Massachusetts, which was at this meeting trans- 
ferred by the board to the Sandusky Annual Conference. 
In Xebraska very little was done. During the year, 
Rev. I. Sloane and family moved to California. Mr. 
Sloane was our first missionary to that State. But a 
few months after they reached Sacramento City, Mrs. 
Sloane died, leaving her husband alone to care for sev- 
eral children, besides the large and important mission 
field of which he was in charge. He himself was per- 
mitted to labor but a few years in that country when, by 
a sad accident, while he was crossing the mountains, far 
from his family and friends, he was called from labor to 
reward. Of this heroic, faithful servant of the Lord, 
and of his death, more will be said in due time. 

In the home-mission department of the work, the pro- 
gress made was very good, with a few exceptions. Both 
in this, and in the frontier field, there were favorable 



UNITED BRETHREN MISSIONS. 57 

opportunities for greatly increasing the force of mission- 
aries, which could not be done, however, for the simple 
reason that the money was not at hand to support them. 
Except in the slave States, where the opposition to our 
missionaries was very bitter, the year's work was quite 
encouraging. The following resolution, adopted at this 
meeting, shows the board meant that its missionaries 
should work : 

" We require the missionaries under our control to 
devote two hundred and forty days per annum to active 
labor on their respective fields, as nothing short of this 
will be regarded as full time. 

One of the missionaries of Mendi mission, who had 
spent much time in Africa, and knew our work well, 
wrote to the executive committee, in January, 1859, as 
follows : " (1.) You have at Shaingay a very desirable 
field. (2.) Mr. Billheimer is a man well calculated to 
begin a new field of labor. (3.) The buildings are com- 
menced well, the plans are wisely laid, and they ought 
to be completed, even if you have to borrow money to 
do it, as they will be of great benefit before new mission- 
aries are sent to join Mr. Billheimer. (4.) You may feel 
certain that every farthing of your money is religiously 
employed according to Mr. Billheimer's judgment." 

The seventh annual session of the board met April 28, 
1860, in Dresback meeting-house, near Circleville, Ohio. 
The past year had been an exceedingly trying one to the 
missionaries, owing to the meagre support they received, 
and to the officers of the society, because of their ina- 
bility to forward promptly the installments due them. 
As it was, the debt of the society was increased, even by 
the pittance given the missionaries. To save expenses, 
the corresponding secretary accepted a field of labor in 
Miami Conference, and, with the help of two other 



58 HISTORY OF THE 

ministers, the work of the society was done gratis. The 
Missionary Telescope, the organ of the society, cost five 
hundred dollars more than was received on subscription 
to publish it during the year, for the reason, as already 
stated, that all life members and life directors received 
it free. 

The slave power continued to oppose the cause of mis- 
sions in the slave States, and in Kentucky, Tennessee, 
and West Virginia hindered it a good deal. The first 
United Brethren church in Tennessee was dedicated 
during the year. The John Brown invasion into Vir- 
ginia made the opposition still more violent. Some 
success was achieved, nevertheless, in slave States, espe- 
cially in Missouri, and also in Kansas, which, though 
not a slave State, was much affected by the slavery agita- 
tion. The success in Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Oregon 
was in every way encouraging. In Canada there was 
but little growth in membership, but church building 
was going forward energetically, and the prospects were 
good for the future.- In California the work was carried 
forward by a single missionary, and mostly at his own 
expense. He reported that fifty members were received. 
In Nebraska three missionaries were at work, but with- 
out success. The Ohio German Mission Conference had 
a prosperous year. The mission in Massachusetts, under 
the supervision of Sandusky Conference, had been re- 
enforced, and seemed promising. 

All home missions upon which efficient work was 
done succeeded well ; but for various reasons much less 
was attempted in this department than should have 
been, and the results were far less satisfactory than in 
some other years. 

In Africa but little was attempted. Rev. J. K. Bill- 
heimer, the only laborer there, was compelled to leave 



UNITED BRETHREN MISSIONS. 59 

early in the year on account of failing health. He came 
to America to recruit his health, leaving the mission 
May 18, 1859, and returning to it February 19, 1860. 
During his absence of nine months, Rev. J. A. Williams, 
a native minister of Freetown, whom Mr. Billheimer had 
employed as his assistant, was in charge. He continued 
to teach a small school, preached some, and kept the 
mission house and its contents from being destroyed. A 
special providence seemed to watch over that work, and 
to forward the cause of missions both at home and 
abroad. 

Action was taken by the board to obtain full reports 
of all that was done on its missions, and resolutions 
were passed urging that the claims of missions be 
brought before all the churches and Sunday-schools, by 
sermons and addresses. 

The eighth annual session of the board met in Johns- 
ville, Ohio, May 9, 1861. During the year the debt had 
been somewhat reduced, and the society had received 
from Revs. W. H. Brown and J. C. Bright one thousand 
and fourteen acres of land, worth about ten thousand 
dollars. The most of this munificent gift came from Mr. 
^Brown. These donations, with other hopeful signs, made 
the financial outlook better than it had been for some 
time, but still the embarrassment of debt was upon it. 

Mr. Billheimer, as yet the only American the society 
had in Africa, a few months before the board met wrote 
that he had a class of ten seekers, two of whom he had 
reasons to believe were converted, and that the work was 
progressing well at Shaingay, the only station we had 
there. He urged that more be done for Africa, saying 
that if he should live to be an old man he would be will- 
ing to spend the remainder of his days with that people. 

The mission conferences in Kansas, Missouri, Minn- 



60 HISTORY OF THE 

esota, Wisconsin, West Virginia, and also the Ohio Ger- 
man Conference had in general prospered during the 
year. Oregon and Canada had suffered for want of a 
supply of laborers, and Kentucky was chiefly abandoned 
by missionaries owing to the opposition and threats from 
pro-slavery men. All our missionaries in slave States 
were severely denounced. Slaveholders could not unite 
with the Church because we held slaveholding to be a 
sin ; and hence anti-slavery men and institutions were 
roughly handled just previous to our civil war, which 
became an exceedingly uncivil affair in our midst for 
several years. The home missions of the Church were 
moderately prosperous during the year, though less so 
than most of the frontier missions had been. In the 
aggregate, the work done during the term was truly 
gratifying. There had been a net gain to the Church 
of over ten thousand members on mission fields, which, 
considering the small amount of money given to this 
cause, presents a very good showing. 

The General Conference met the following week, when 
the bishops stated, in their address to that body, that 
the membership of the Church had increased in the pre- 
ceding four years from 61,399 to 94,453, which was a 
gain of 33,054. Nearly one-third of this gain was on 
mission fields. The Church had shown a willingness to 
give the gospel to the destitute and degraded heathen, 
and to fully obey the Master's command, "Go ye into 
all the world and preach the gospel to every creature," 
and the Divine blessing was richly bestowed upon it. 
The following statement for. the term ending May, 1861, 
taken from the treasurer's report, as given at the close 
of the preceding chapter, will show more fully that this 
was true : 



UNITED BRETHREN MISSIONS. 61 

Africa $7,349 67 

Oregon 1,700 00 

California 50 00 

Ohio German 2,700 00 

Parkersburg 873 03 

Tennessee 731 25 

Missouri 1,350 00 

Kansas 2,750 00 

Nebraska 1,755 00 

Minnesota 2,000 00 

Wisconsin 900 00 

Michigan 500 00 

Canada 3,550 00 

Total. $26,208 95 

There was collected on foreign and frontier missions, 
for the support of missionaries in charge of them^ the 
sum of $16,416.40. The amount paid for home missions 
by branch treasurers, and by the missions thus served, 
in the four years, was $81,824.91, making a grand total 
for home, frontier and foreign missions, of $127,063.35. 



62 HISTORY OF THE 



CHAPTER X. 

From 1861 to 1865. 

Serious obstacles to overcome on account of debt and war — Money 
came from unexpected sources in answer to prayer — Fierce opposition 
from pro-slavery men — Work in Africa not entirely abandoned — 
Real progress upon many fields — I,osses upon a few. 

The ninth annual session of the board met- in Bourbon, 
Indiana, May 8, 1862. The General Conference of 1861 
re-elected the same men for president, secretary, and 
treasurer who had filled these offices the previous four 
years, and also the usual number of other members of 
the board. In addition to the embarrassments growing 
out of a lack of money, the civil war, which had grown 
to be a very serious matter, was hindering the work, and 
putting in its way serious obstacles. West Virginia, 
Tennessee, Kentucky, Missouri, and Kansas, especially 
the last two, were full of anarchy and bloodshed, though 
our missionaries were prosperous in their work in these 
States during the year. Distress had fallen upon our 
people living inside of rebel lines, as not a few had been 
conscripted, and others were stripped of all their earthly 
goods. Tennessee mission, being wholly within rebel 
lines, no word from it had reached the officers during 
the year. Some of the missions were abandoned in 
Parkersburg Conference, West Virginia. Kentucky was 
invaded by the rebels, and all mission work there had 
been stopped, except that now and then a meeting was 
held by Rev. Wm. Blair, the only one of the mission- 
aries who had not left the State for the free North. 

The General Conference the year before had made Ohio 



UNITED BRETHREN MISSIONS. 63 

German Conference self-supporting, and authorized the 
following mission conferences to be organized, viz. : Indi- 
ana German. North Michigan, and Fox River, the latter 
being in the State of Wisconsin and the others being in 
the States whose names they bear. Nebraska Conference 
was disbanded, and its territory in Iowa, which was the 
most prosperous part of it, given to W r est Des Moines 
Conference, to which it properly belonged. Rev. D. 
Shuck had been elected bishop of the Pacific Coast, but 
had not gone. A Rev. Mr. Dollarhide had gone to Cali- 
fornia, and was helping Rev. I. Sloane. They had some 
success, but most of their converts went into other 
churches, on account of our anti-secrecy and anti-slavery 
principles. Rev. C. Briggs had gone to the New England 
mission, for Sandusky Conference, and had labored very 
faithfully there, but the work was not prospering. In 
Canada "and Oregon, and in the newly organized confer- 
ences, as well as in Minnesota, there was but moderate 
success, except in North Michigan, which had grown 
rapidly during the year. 

Home missions had considerable prosperity, and were 
still absorbing much the largest part of all missionary 
money collected in the Church. The board had fifty-five 
missionaries in the frontier, and but one in the foreign 
field. These were paid on an average about one hundred 
dollars each from mission funds, and received the rest 
of their support from their mission fields, but often that 
was not much. Considering the fierce war which was 
raging in the United States, the work here was gratify- 
ing. The Missionary Telescope, owing to its losing money, 
was discontinued after November, 1861. 

Mr. Billheimer's term of five years having expired, he 
left Africa in September, 1861, and came to America, 
leaving the mission a second time in charge of Mr. J. A. 



61 HISTORY OF THE 

Williams, the faithful native helper the society had 
there. Shaingay being a healthy place, making it more 
desirable for missionaries to acclimate and recruit health, 
it was decided to sell the Freetown property, in order to 
procure sufficient funds to complete' the missionary resi- 
dence at Shaingay, which was partly built. Accord- 
ingly, Mr. Billheimer was instructed to dispose of it. 
Owing to a defective title, he could not find a purchaser 
before leaving Africa for America, in the autumn of 
1861. "With the hope tljat Mr. Flickinger might sell it, 
and thereby pay some debts against the mission, which 
were demanded, and also shape things so that the native 
missionary, Mr. Williams, who was in charge of the mis- 
sion, might be retained to keep life in it, the executive 
committee requested him to go to Africa, for the third 
time. He sailed in November, 1861, and, after much 
trouble, sold the property, paying all debts against the 
mission there, and supplying Mr. Williams with suffi- 
cient money to hold the fort for another year and more. 
The mission debt at home, despite greatly reduced ap- 
propriations, had been increased two thousand dollars 
during the year, and now stood at about as high a figure 
as it was four years before. It was fortunate for the 
society that the Lord put it into the heart of Mr. W. 
Blanchard, of Carlisle, Kentucky, to come to Dayton, 
Ohio, to seek an anti-slavery church, with 84,210 for the 
cause of missions, which amount he paid in cash. Mr. 
I. Lane, of Henderson, Illinois, also generously gave 
the society real estate and notes during this year, which 
were valued at fourteen thousand dollars, most of which 
was realized in money some years later. Truly, man's 
extremity is God's opportunity. Mr. Blanchard knew 
nothing about such a people as the "United Brethren in 
Christ," as he himself informed the writer, but was im- 



UNITED BRETHREN MISSIONS. 65 

pressed by the Holy Spirit that he ought to come to 
Dayton, Ohio. 

At this annual meeting the executive committee was 
authorized by the board to sell the real estate bequeathed 
to the society, and to execute deeds and all legal papers 
in behalf of the society, under the direction and with 
the sanction of the board, which power said committee 
still retains. 

Mr. Flickinger returned from Africa barely in time to 
attend this meeting. As he had borne all the expense 
of this trip to Africa himself, he received the hearty 
thanks of the board. Mr. Billheimer was re-appointed 
to be superintendent of the African mission, and in- 
structed to go again in the fall of 1862. Mr. Williams 
was also continued as his assistant. The year was an 
eventful one, with much to encourage the friends of 
missions to continue their sympathy, gifts, and prayers. 

The tenth annual meeting of the board was held in 
Liberty, Ohio, May 21, 1863. The secretary's report 
said: "Meeting at a time when a most wicked rebellion 
is exhausting the energies of this country, and filling 
the land with desolation and mourning, it is fit to call 
to remembrance the unfaltering adherence of our fathers 
to the principles of right, especially in their firm oppo- 
sition to that sin which has so justly brought upon our 
nation the judgment of Almighty God. For more than 
forty years we have refused membership to slaveholders. 
Because of this, many have turned away from us, and 
we have been subjected to much opposition and injus- 
tice, especially in slave States. The progress this nation 
is making in breaking the shackles of the enslaved is a 
reward for all that has been suffered and the sacrifices 
we yet have to make before this terrible struggle ends. 
The condition of our political affairs has compelled us 



Ob HISTORY OF THE 

to suspend labor in places, but wherever our missiona- 
ries have been permitted to work regularly, they have 
had excellent success, with one or two exceptions." 

The financial condition of the society was better, as 
large donations were being received. The New England 
mission was faithfully served, but with little success. 
No word had come from Tennessee, the missionary there 
being compelled to hide in the mountains to evade the 
rebels, who were seeking his life. In Kentucky our 
people could hold no meetings. Nebraska mission had 
been turned over to West Des Moines Conference, which 
looked after one or two points near it, and left all the 
rest unsupplied with laborers ; therefore, very little was 
done on this mission. Oregon Conference was strength- 
ened by the addition of several ministers, but had an 
unusual leanness in its finances during the year. For- 
merly it had money but no laborers ; now it had laborers 
but no money. It made some progress, notwithstanding. 
California was organized into a mission conference in 
September, 1862, with six missionaries and several local 
preachers, and was prosperous. The Indiana German 
Conference was growing as rapidly as could be expected, 
it being exclusively German. In Kansas there were 
serious trials, but the mission fully held its own. Mis- 
souri Conference had bitter opposition, but it prospered 
somewhat. The Indian raid, with scarcity of laborers, 
seriously hindered our progress in Minnesota. Fox 
River Conference, in Wisconsin, had • little numerical 
strength added, but built several houses of worship. 
Canada was doing much the same as Fox River. West 
Virginia, in which Parkersburg Conference is situated, 
had become a free State, and this gave our missionaries 
hope that the five hundred members lost there since the 
war began would soon be regained. Home missions sue- 



UNITED BRETHREN MISSIONS.' 67 

ceeded well generally, and not a few of them became 
self-supporting from year to year, and in their turn con- 
tributed to the cause of missions elsewhere. 

Rev. J. K. Billheimer spent the summer of 1862 in 
America recruiting his health. In the meantime he 
was married to Miss A. Hanby, and they sailed for 
Africa early in October, reaching Shaingay the following 
month. He wrote that the people were greatly rejoiced 
at his return, and that the mission was in better con- 
dition than he expected to find it. In February, 1863, 
he wrote that the Sabbaths there were precious days; 
the meetings were well attended; the two converts, 
Thomas Tucker and Lucy Caulker, were faithful, and 
the outlook promising. Owing to the failure of the man 
to whom the Freetown property had been sold, to pay as 
soon as was expected, Mr. Billheimer was hindered in 
his work. The treasurer had sent him money to be paid 
through another missionary then in Africa, who for 
some reason did not forward it promptly to Mr. Bill- 
heimer. These vexatious delays caused not only great 
inconvenience and suffering to Mr. and Mrs. Billheimer, 
but retarded them in their work, and perhaps conduced 
to their early return, which was in the spring of 1864. 
Mr. Billheimer, in clearing the ground and opening 
Shaingay station, suffered a great deal in various ways. 
The following action was taken at this meeting: "(1.) 
That we commence a mission among the freedmen. 
(2.) That in connection with this we will do all we can 
the destitute whites in the South." There were at 
this time one hundred and fifty-eight missionaries in the 
home, fifty-two in the frontier, and two in the foreign 
fields, a total of two hundred and twelve, making a very 
large force of laborers for the small amount of money 
collected and expended by the Church for their support. 



68 HISTORY OF THE 

The eleventh annual session of the board met May 19, 
1864, in Dublin, Indiana. Its action one year previous 
looking to the opening of a mission among the freed- 
men of the South met with favor. Contributions for 
this had been asked as a special work, and they came in 
so liberally that by December, 1863, the society had two 
ministers and four lady teachers at work in Vicksburg, 
Mississippi. They taught not less than five hundred, 
young and old, in the schools they had opened, and the 
ministers preached to them frequently. They had also 
organized a church in that city, which numbered about 
four hundred and fifty members. A second work was 
commenced at Davis Bend, and a school opened early in 
January, 1864, which was continued until late in March, 
when it had to be closed, on account of the withdrawal 
of the Federal troops from that place. In February, 
three more laborers were sent, but owing to sickness, two 
of them came back to Ohio, together with one belonging 
to the first company. The total amount contributed to 
this work, in clothing, books, and cash, mostly the lat- 
ter, was about seven thousand dollars. 

The following missionaries were employed in connec- 
tion with this work : Rev. B. F. Morgan and wife, Rev. 
Wm. McKee, Miss S. Dickey, Miss E. G. Stubbs, Miss A. 
E. Hanson, Rev. A. Rose, Miss J. Bigley, Miss Mary 
Steward, Miss H. C. Hunt, Rev. R. West, and Rev. W. 
O. Grimm and wife. 

The most wonderful thing in connection with this 
work was the progress the freedmen made in their 
studies. In two months many of them learned to read 
quite well. They advanced with equal rapidity in pen- 
manship, geography, English grammar, and arithmetic. 
Old and young, both in day and Sunday-schools, 
eagerly sought and readily obtained knowledge. 



UNITED BRETHREN MISSION 69 

Our missionary in Tennessee, Rev. J. Ruebush, came 
north in November, 1863, and made the following report : 
"The first year of the war I was not interrupted much; 
the second year, I had to abandon some of my appoint- 
ments ; and the third, I had to flee for my life. We had 
three Sunday-schools and about one hundred members 
there when I left." He returned to Tennessee in April, 
1864, but could get no further than Strawberry Plains, 
from which place he wrote that he had heard from his 
wife, and that the rebels had broken open his house and 
carried off everthing they could. He soon afterward 
succeeded in getting home. Our missionary in Ken- 
tucky reported that many of our members had been 
driven away, and that there was great excitement over 
the negro question ; the last awful struggle was at hand, 
and no Northern man could stay there ; he was doing all 
he could to keep the church alive and together. The 
Nebraska and New England missions had but little suc- 
cess during the year. Owing to the death of Rev. I. 
Sloane in California, early in the year, but little was 
done there. He was a true and successful missionary, 
who met death far from home and friends, and under 
circumstances painful to contemplate. As nearly as can 
be given here, the incidents pertaining to his death were 
as follows : While on one of his missionary tours, his 
horse gave out, and a brother, with the best intentions, 
insisted on his taking one of his. As it was a Mex- 
ican pony, and given to bucking, Mr. Sloane at first 
hesitated, but the brother assuring him that the horse 
was well trained and -safe, he finally accepted with 
reluctance the proffered loan. He started on his jour- 
ney, and all went well until, in crossing a mountain, 
he reached a long decline, close to the sea-shore. The 
horse here began to buck, and for more than a mile con- 



70 HISTORY OF THE 

tinued it with such violence that Mr. Sloane was unable 
to check him sufficiently to dismount. On reaching the 
foot of the mountain, he succeeded in getting off of 
this furious animal, but was badly injured internally. 
By the assistance of others, who chanced to meet him in 
this sad plight, he was conveyed to a vessel, which was 
but a short distance from the shore. Here he was cared 
for as well as it was possible under the circumstances, 
but died before reaching a place of landing. Death found 
him quite ready to depart and be with Christ. 

In the month of February, Bishop Shuck was urged 
to go to the Pacific coast, and did so. He wrote, in 
April, that a number had united with the Church ; that 
the outlook was hopeful, both in California and Oregon, 
and that the work had been extended from the latter 
into Washington Territory In Kansas there was but 
little success, while in Missouri a rapid growth was 
shown. North Michigan and Canada had a good year, 
and Fox River and Minnesota were increasing, but not 
rapidly. Parkersburg and Indiana German conferences 
were hindered by political agitation and other causes, 
yet had some growth. 

The home missions of the Church had been the means 
of greatly strengthening the self-supporting conferences. 
When the field is wisely chosen and properly cultivated, 
success is almost certain in this department of work, but 
the year just closed was an especially successful one. 

Mr. and Mrs. Billheimer, owing to sickness, returned 
home soon after the board met, leaving the work in 
Africa again in the hands of Mr. Williams. Just before 
his departure from Africa, he wrote that a country-built 
chapel in Shaingay had been completed and dedicated, 
and every seat had been occupied ; that the chief of the 
country was present, and that God had greatly blessed 



UNITED BRETHREN MISSIONS. 71 

the services; the Sabbath-school was larger than ever 
before, and much more interesting ; the prayer-meetings 
were well attended ; God was moving upon the hearts of 
many, and ten persons were then inquiring after salva- 
tion. The board resolved to send two more laborers 
there as soon as suitable persons could be found, and 
unqualifiedly pledged itself to the interests of Africa. 

The last annual meeting of the board for the third quad- 
rennial term was held May 9, 1865, in Lisbon, Iowa, and 
the General Conference met two days later near the 
same place. The debt of the society was almost wiped 
out, and it had built a good house in Vicksburg for the 
freedmen's mission. About fifteen thousand freedmen 
had received instruction in the southwest, and seven 
hundred of them from our teachers. Human slavery 
was doomed, and henceforth these freed people were to 
have the privilege of receiving instruction in public 
schools, and a pure gospel, and thousands were eagerly 
laying hold of this hope to secure their full rights as 
American citizens. Freeing our treasury largely from 
financial embarrassment, and the good work done among 
the freedmen of the South, were the gratifying results of 
the year's record. The war had written a terrible com- 
mentary upon our national wickedness. The cost of life 
and treasure for the expurgation of American slavery 
would have planted the gospel in every part of the 
habitable world. The money expended would have 
more than paid full value for every slave ; but this was 
the least of the sacrifices made to save the life of the 
United States Government. Many who had not per- 
ceived it before, now saw that slavery was a great 
political as well as moral evil, and that God will vin- 
dicate the right, though he resort to fearful measures to 
accomplish his purposes. The proscriptive spirit mani- 



72 HISTORY OF THE 

fested against "us in Kentucky, Tennessee, and elsewhere, 
because of our anti-slavery principles, showed the hein- 
ousness of the institution, and caused us great joy to see 
its power for evil exterminated. The following is to the 
point in this connection. 

Rev. J. Ruebush, our pioneer, but now refugee mis- 
sionary in Tennessee, who started from the North to his 
home near Greenville, had failed to reach there for more 
than a year previous to this annual meeting. He wrote 
in March that he had reached Knoxville, and was then 
preaching there with some success. A local preacher, 
Rev. E. Keezle, had moved from Virginia to the neighbor- 
hood in which Mr. Ruebush lived, and he had ventured 
to preach at some of the places formerly occupied by the 
board's missionary. In Kentucky nothing could be 
done. Mr. Blair, the only man Ave had there, attempted 
to hold a few meetings. On one occasion a band of, out- 
laws made a dash into a meeting he was holding, but he 
managed to get away before they arrived, thus narrowly 
escaping with his life. As a matter of course, under 
these circumstances, both in Kentucky and Tennessee, 
we lost rather than gained members. 

Bishop Shuck's labors on the Pacific coast were blessed, 
for he not only presided at the Oregon and California 
conferences, but preached a great deal besides, especially 
in Northern California. One of the successful laborers 
in Oregon had died, and the advanced age and infirmi- 
ties of others prevented them from working as they had 
in former years ; yet the work there, and in Washington 
Territory, which was a part of the Oregon Conference, 
had gone forward reasonably well. There had been 
more prosperity in Kansas than for several years before, 
and continued success crowned our efforts in Missouri. 
In Minnesota old difficulties were removed, and some 



UNITED BRETHREN MISSIONS. 73 

progress was made. A fair share of success had attended 
all the other frontier missions, except Fox River and 
Indiana German conferences, and the Nebraska mission, 
which had little work done upon it during the year. 
Some home missions had abundant success during the 
year, but upon the whole the work was less prosperous in 
this department than formerly. A more vigilant super- 
vision was needed in some conferences, as well as more 
efficient laborers, in connection with home missions. 

The African mission was left in the care of Rev. J. 
A. Williams, the native helper we had in Africa, during 
the year. The war and the changes wrought by it, made 
such demands upon Christian effort at home that there 
was little inclination to attempt much abroad. It was 
well that the society had a trustworthy man, though a 
native, to hold the ground and not let the property it 
owned there be destroyed. The executive committee did 
seek to get laborers for Africa, but failed. It sent to Mr. 
Williams five hundred dollars' worth of goods, but the 
vessel upon which they were shipped was lost at sea. 
There was also an order sent him for money, but this, 
too, failed to reach its destination ; probably lost with 
the same ill-fated vessel. Mr. Williams wrote in March 
that he was greatly straitened for means, but was keeping 
up the day and Sunday-schools, and preaching at Shain- 
gay regularly. Under these circumstances, but little 
could be done to build up the cause there. We had at 
this time one hundred and eighty-seven missions, with 
a membership of twelve thousand, seven hundred and 
fifty-two. There were one hundred and seventy-two 
Sunday-schools, with nine thousand, three hundred and 
forty pupils in them upon these missions. The society 
was rapidly enlarging its sphere of labor in the United 
States, and doing a little in Africa. The cause of homfe 



74 HISTORY OF THE 

missions, though not under the immediate supervision 
of the board, was greatly helped by the officers of the 
society constantly keeping the subject of missions before 
the people. At this time there was no rule by which 
money collected for missions was divided between the 
board for frontier and foreign missions, and the confer- 
ences for home missions. The result was, the conferences 
retained the larger part of it, as they, by vote, deter- 
mined what portion the board should receive at each 
annual conference session. The following is the financial 
summary, embracing the four years ending May, 1865 : 

Africa , $ 5,530 29 

California 1,351 00 

Freedmen's Mission 10,170 81 

Fox River Conference 1,150 00 

Indiana German Conference 1,566 66 

Kansas Conference 1,415 83 

Kentucky Mission 100 25 

Massachusetts Mission 793 68 

Minnesota Mission 1,180 42 

Missouri Mission 1,408 80 

Nebraska Mission 50 00 

Ontario Mission 1,185 28 

Oregon Mission 700 00 

North Michigan Mission 831 66 

Parkersburg Mission 700 15 

Tennessee Mission 206 00 

Total.. $28,340 83 

There was collected for the support of missionaries 
on the above-named missions the additional sum of 
$22,364.68, and there was paid -to home missionaries, by 
branch treasurers and the fields they served, $102,631.55, 
making a grand cash total for home, frontier, and foreign 
missions of $153,237.06. In addition, books and cloth- 
ing to the value of several thousand dollars were given, 
principally to the freedmen of the South. 



UNITED BRETHREN MISSIONS. 75 



CHAPTER XI. 

From 1865 to 1869. 

Missionary Visitor commenced -*- Freedmen's mission discontinued — 
Work resumed in places from which war had driven us — Oregon 
made self-supporting — Rev. O. Hadley and wife sent to Africa, and 
what they said — Union sought with the Evangelical Association — 
Great prosperity on frontier and home missions. 

The thirteenth annual session of the board met in Lewis- 
burg, Ohio, May 24, 1866. The General Conference of 
the year previous had continued J. J. Glossbrenner as 
president, and D. K. Flickinger as secretary, but elected 
Rev. Wm. McKee as treasurer, instead of Rev. J. Kemp. 
A few changes were also made in the other members 
constituting the new board. It had ordered the pub- 
lication of the Missionary Visitor, provided it could be 
accomplished by the officers of the society without loss 
to the missionary treasury. The paper was commenced 
July 1, 1865, with a few hundred subscribers, which 
number increased to thirty-five hundred by the time 
this meeting occurred, the receipts paying the cost of 
publication. The large circulation it had attained, the 
missionary intelligence it communicated to young and 
old in the Church, and the money derived therefrom, 
showed conclusively that this paper was meeting a real 
want in the Church. 

The board, as well as the General Conference of 1865, 
had approved the following : " That it is the duty of the 
Christian church to put forth extraordinary efforts for 
the spiritual, moral, and political regeneration of the peo- 
ple of the South, without distinction of color." Shortly 



76 HISTORY OF THE 

after the war closed, the military authorities of Vicksburg 
remanded the lot upon which our mission chapel and 
school-room were situated, to its original owner, who 
demanded the removal of the building at once. As the 
people who had united with us were mostly gone, and 
that city was fully occupied by other churches, both 
from the North and South, it was thought best to aban- 
don the freedmen's mission as a separate work, but to 
occupy the Southern field irrespective ot color. We 
therefore sold the house in Vicksburg for the nominal 
sum of four hundred and fifty dollars after it was torn 
down, and three hundred and nineteen dollars was also 
received for goods and other things we possessed there. 
Alas ! but little has been accomplished in the South by 
our society, for either whites or blacks, since that time. 

The missions in Tennessee, Kentucky, and Southern 
Illinois, which had been left without laborers because of 
the war, were reinforced. Rev. J. Ruebush had reached 
his home in Tennessee, and Rev. A. E. Evans" was sent 
to his assistance. Revs. Bay and Bender had been sent 
to Kentucky, and with Mr. Blair, who was already on 
the field, manned that mission admirably well. Several 
men were also employed in Southern Illinois, and on 
all these missions there was success, with a prospect of 
flattering results. The Indiana Mission Conference was 
discontinued as a separate work, and made a part of 
Ohio German Conference, which was again made a mis- 
sion conference. The General Conference had also made 
Oregon Conference self-supporting, and authorized the 
organization of a mission conference in Washington Ter- 
ritory, which had been acconrplished. California grew 
rapidly, and the outlook was good on the Pacific district. 
In Kansas Conference, Lane Seminary was located at 
Lecompton, and in other respects progress was made 



UNITED BRETHREN MISSIONS. 77 

during the year. In Missouri there were revivals and 
growth in membership. Many who had opposed us on 
account of our anti-slavery sentiments, were now our 
friends, and were glad that slavery was abolished. Min- 
nesota and Fox River grew slowly, especially the latter. 
Wisconsin was made a mission conference again, and 
did reasonably well during the year. North Michigan 
did very well, and Canada had some success^while Par- 
kersburg made remarkable progress. 

As home missions received more financial aid than 
had been given to both other departments, there were 
correspondingly greater results during the year. This 
department of work, as well as the division of mission- 
ary money being under the control of the annual con- 
ferences exclusively, they very naturally took the lion's 
share, often leaving the Board of Missions with quite a 
small amount in comparison to what they retained for 
themselves. They never had more money than the 
home missions of the Church needed; but the board 
never had enough to work properly the frontier and 
foreign missions of the Church committed especially to 
its care. The board resolved at this meeting to put forth 
increased effort in behalf of Africa. The following fully 
explains why it had accomplished so little in the past, 
and its attitude toward Africa : 

"Whereas, God has graciously preserved our mission 
in Africa through all the distractions and burdens of the 
late war, and has blessed our labors there, making the 
mission a marked power for good among the people, thus 
showing His approbation of our efforts ; therefore, 

"Resolved, 1. That we realize our responsibility as a 
board and a Church, and we call upon our people every- 
where to give more liberally of their means, that we may 
prosecute that work with greater energy. 



78* HISTORY OF THE 

"Resolved, 2. That our thanks are due to the mis- 
sionaries who have sustained that mission during the 
long years of rebellion in this country, while we were 
compelled to turn aside to exterminate the heathenish 
institution of slavery in America." 

Rev. 0. Hadley and wife were appointed at this meet- 
ing to go to Africa, Mr. Billheimer having been absent 
from the mission for some time, and having retired from 
the service of the society, Mr. Williams had been in 
charge as on former occasions, doing as well as could be 
expected. The following was adopted at this meeting : 

"Whereas, The non-episcopal bodies have recently 
proved the practicability of an organic union between 
different denominations of similar doctrines and church 
polity ; and whereas, we believe that it is our duty as a 
board of missions to heed the indications of Providence, 
and to not only pray but labor, that God's people may 
be one, as Christ and the Father are one ; therefore, 

"Resolved, That we request our bishops to open cor- 
respondence with the bishops of the Evangelical Asso- 
ciation, with a view to the union of our church and 
that body, believing that such a measure would greatly 
strengthen the arms of the two bodies in their labors 
for the evangelization of the world." 

It is to be regretted that this union was not consum- 
mated. Owing to an unhappy turn in affairs soon after 
the above action was taken, very little effort was made to 
bring the question before the people of the two churches ; 
hence nothing was done. Were they one, and truly one, 
what a power for good they would be — each having ele- 
ments of strength and success which are much needed 
in the other. Were those holding the helms of these 
ships of Zion intent on bringing them together, there 
is but little doubt that it could be done. This would 



UNITED BRETHREN MISSIONS. 79 

greatly help them in carrying forward the work of the 
world's evangelization, both at home and abroad. In 
place of the old names, as now, "Evangelical Brethren" 
would be a suitable title. 

The fourteenth annual meeting of the board took place 
in Bridgeport, Ohio, May 17, 1867. Rev. J. C. Bright, a 
member of the board from its organization, and its first 
corresponding secretary, had died during the year. The 
following action of the board shows the esteem in which 
he was held: "In the death of Brother Bright we have 
lost a most zealous and efficient member, the cause of 
missions an earnest friend, the Church and the world a 
true Christian." 

The Missionary Visitor was exerting a healthy influ- 
ence. The corresponding secretary, its editor, expressed 
a desire to enlarge and improve it, as soon as its circula- 
tion brought money sufficient to do so without loss. He 
also recommended to the board the propriety of project- 
ing another mission in Europe or Asia. The Tennessee 
and Kentucky missions had been organized into mission 
conferences, each having five ministers. In both we had 
lost heavily during the war, but were now recovering 
rapidly. Southern Illinois had but little success. Par- 
kersburg lost one of its faithful missionaries by death, 
but grew very rapidly. Missouri also had a good year, 
and Kansas the best in its history. California succeeded 
well, but Cascade, in Washington Territory, not so well, 
mainly on account of lack of laborers. Minnesota had 
peculiar difficulties, and its missionaries many hard- 
ships, and did not grow much during the year. Neither 
did Wisconsin succeed well, and Fox River still less. 
North Michigan continued to prosper, but Canada sus- 
tained numerical loss by the removal of many of its 
members to other localities. Home missions did not 



80 HISTORY OF THE 

increase in numbers much, but upon some of them there 
had been revivals of religion, resulting in much good, 
and adding thousands to the membership of the Church. 
Mr. and Mrs. Hadley had reached Africa on December 
13, 1866, having sailed from New York on the 22d of 
October. Shortly after their arrival, Mr. Hadley wrote : 
" We were both pleased with the location and condition 
of the mission at first, but on a closer examination our 
hearts were made sad. Both the mission boats were 
unseaworthy ; the mission chapel had been so eaten by 
bug-a-bugs, that it had to be propped to keep it from 
falling. The roof leaked badly, but this could be easily 
repaired. We use the mission residence parlor for wor- 
ship and school purposes. This is the best we can dc 
until another chapel is built, which should be done as 
soon as possible. I hardly know what to say of the mis- 
sion in reference to spiritual matters. We are afflicted 
at the thought that so little is done. If we can have a 
revival and some new converts, it would go better. We 
want new converts to preach Christ, and stir up the dry 
bones. There is a large field open to us. Our school is 
not well sustained, because Mr. Williams, the teacher, is 
absent part of the time. Much might be said in refer- 
ence to the wants of the mission. We feel the Lord is 
with us, and from thirty to forty attend Sabbath ser- 
vices." The terrible climate of West Africa, so ruinous 
to the health of people going there from the higher lati- 
tudes, is also a hard place on boats and buildings. These 
being in the care of a native missionary so long, though 
he did what he thought was best to preserve them, were 
in a dilapidated condition truly. Just before Mr. Had- 
ley reached the mission, Mr. Williams wrote: "How 
anxiously I am waiting for the reinforcement of this mis- 
sion. There have been revivals of religion in Freetown, 



UNITED BRETHREN MISSIONS. 81 

and many have been converted. Here, my wife and I, 
a little girl, and T. Tucker are the only Christians." 

The fifteenth annual session of the board met in West- 
field, Illinois, May 21, 1868. Although there were, as 
usual, some failures, yet the fact that about seven thou- 
sand persons had been received into the Church by our 
missionaries, shows a year of real prosperity. The secre- 
tary, in his report, urged that a church-erection fund be 
provided, as many people converted under the labors of 
our missionaries were lost to the Church because we did 
not provide houses of worship. Other churches did, and 
thereby often established themselves in communities 
where we had the most members, who often left us 
and went to those who furnished such accommodations. 
However, it was thought not wise to attempt anything 
at this meeting, as there were so many other interests 
calling for the expenditure of money. 

The Missionary Visitor had reached a circulation of 
eleven thousand. New missions had been projected in 
Southern Missouri, Golorado, and among the Germans 
in Columbus, Ohio, and some little accomplished upon 
them, but there were as yet no special results. The Cali- 
fornia, Missouri, Parkersburg, and North Michigan con- 
ferences continued to prosper, some of them very rapidly, 
and all of them encouragingly. Minnesota, AVisconsin, 
Fox River, and Cascade did reasonably well, as did 
Kentucky; but in Tennessee, Canada, and Southern 
Illinois there was a great lack of laborers, and corre- 
spondingly small results. Home missions had an unu- 
sually prosperous year, and a number of them had grown 
strong enough to become self-supporting. The missions 
in America, with slight exceptions, met the expectations 
of their friends ; but the foreign work was not so hope- 
ful, as the following in regard to it readily shows : 



82 HISTORY OF THE 

Owing to the little success we were having in Africa, 
the lack of money to man it properly, and great diffi- 
culty in rinding missionaries who could live in that 
torrid climate, Mr. Hadley was asked if we had not bet- 
ter abandon that field. He replied as follows : "I doubt 
if there is a field in the world harder than this. The 
climate is a great drawback here. By the time we are 
prepared to work we die, or must go home to recruit 
health. Slavery exists here, and polygamy. These breed 
caste, pride, indolence, robbery, degradation. The want 
of veracity is a great evil. I almost think they are all 
liars. The' mission has but little hold upon them. They 
do not feel that Christianity is their religion." After 
hearing all this and more, from a man on the field — a 
man of good judgment and heart — the board resolved 
to prosecute the work with still greater energy. The 
sentiment of the board was, that the abandonment of 
that mission would be a virtual declaration that the 
gospel of Christ was not adapted to that people, which 
would be repudiating the whole system of Christianity 
as a snare and a deception; that the only consistent 
course was to' go forward with full faith that the gospel 
was the power of God unto salvation, and that " in due 
season we shall reap if we faint not." It pledged its 
sympathies, prayers, and aid to the cause of missions in 
Africa, and thanked God that a measure of health and 
great consecration had been given those whom the board 
had sent there as missionaries. A very few would have 
given up the mission, but a large majority strenuously 
opposed it. 

The sixteenth annual session of the board met on the 19th 
of May, 1869, in Annville, Pennsylvania, close to the 
place in which the General Conference met the day fol- 
lowing. The secretary had urged the General Confer- 



UNITED BRETHREN MISSIONS. 83 

ences of 1861 and 1865 to adopt a rule that would give 
the board a certain proportion of all moneys collected 
for missions by the annual conferences. Up to this 
time each annual session gave the board what it felt it 
could spare after it had provided for its home missions. 
A few conferences gave one half, others one third, 
some but a fourth, and even less. The result was, that 
more than two thirds of the missionary money was ex- 
pended on home missions. This was neither wise nor 
just to the board, which had to care for the foreign field 
and an extensive frontier field, and pay the salaries of 
officers and the contingent expenses of the missionary 
society, such as publishing annual reports, certificates 
of life membership, and subscription cards, with less 
than one third of the money collected. The secretary, 
in both his annual and quadrennial reports, argued that 
the people could not be made to feel that the heathen of 
Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, and elsewhere on 
the home mission field should receive so much of their 
money, while thousands in the South and West, and 
millions of heathen more destitute should get so little. 
He urged this rule as a means to increase the collections 
for missions, saying"" then and often afterward, that there 
was no reason why we cannot collect an average of one 
dollar to the member throughout the Church, which 
would give twice the amount received. His pleading 
was more successful than on former occasions. 

Another matter was brought before the board and 
General Conference which excited much interest, and 
was also decided on the side of progress and right, viz. : 
Should we longer continue the African mission ? Three 
missionaries were there most of the year, but the work 
had not gone forward as prosperously as was desired. 
Mr. Hadley, on account of his health, returned with his 



84 HISTORY OF THE 

wife to America on the tenth of the previous month, and 
died on the 21st of April, just eleven days after reach- 
ing his home. Their return and unfavorable report of 
the work, with a feeling quite general among our people 
that we were not able to furnish the money to make it a 
success, made the outlook for that mission dark indeed. 
Notwithstanding all these things, the secretary said : 
" A glorious harvest of souls will yet ere long be gath- 
ered there by the Church which will sustain laborers in 
that field." After the question was discussed pro and con 
for some time, the General Conference decided it should 
not be abandoned, but the way be kept open to go for- 
ward as soon as laborers and money could be obtained 
to prosecute the work. While there was much to dis- 
courage even its warmest friends, they felt a brighter 
day would dawn if we held fast our profession of faith' 
in the power of the gospel to save to the uttermost even 
the most degraded. True, we had neither laborers nor 
money just then, but we felt they would be forthcoming 
in due time. How far these have been supplied, will be 
seen in subsequent chapters of this volume, as well as 
the results of continuing the African mission. 

During the year a new mission was commenced in 
Dakota, and another in Central Missouri, both of which 
succeeded well. The German missions in Columbus and 
Toledo, Ohio, progressed slowly, but not to the extent 
desired. About one half of the mission conferences 
had done well ; some, unusually so, as Parkersburg and 
North Michigan. The latter asked to be made self-sup- 
porting. The other half had advanced slowly; some, 
not at all. Kansas had grown large enough for two, and 
Southern Illinois Mission felt that it ought to become a 
mission conference. There had been large additions of 
members to the Church upon a number of home mis- 



UNITED BRETHREN MISSIONS. 85 

sions, which were generally only moderately successful. 
The Missionary Visitor, the organ of the society, had 
now a circulation of fourteen thousand, principally in 
Sunday-schools, but was read by most of the itinerant 
preachers and Sunday-school teachers, and was doing a 
good work for missions and Sunday-schools. 

At the end of the fourth quadrennial term, May, 1869, 
there were one hundred and seventy-seven missionaries 
in the home, ninety-nine in the frontier, and up to 
within a month of that time, three in the foreign depart- 
ments ; making a total of two hundred and seventy- 
nine. These were preaching in over fourteen hundred 
places, at only two hundred of which there were meeting- 
houses. There were twenty-three thousand members, 
and six hundred Sunday-schools with over twenty-two 
thousand scholars attending them upon these missions. 
Although there was much to discourage in the foreign 
field, yet the increased zeal for missions which was 
moving the Church as never before, was largely due to 
the presentation of the degradation of the people of 
Africa, which was in various ways kept in view. 

The following table shows the amount expended upon 
the missions for the four years ending May, 1869 : 

Africa $ 6,183 45 

California 1,560 82 

Central Missouri (in South Missouri) Mission.. 142 00 

Dakota Mission 125 00 

Fox River 1,300 00 

Kansas 1,638 36 

Kentucky 2,281 00 

Minnesota 1,591 34 

Missouri 2,480 05 

North Michigan 1,321 00 

Ontario 1,355 54 

Ohio German 1,210 00 

Parkersburg... 1,800 00 



86 HISTORY OF THE 

Southern- Illinois 1,842 75 

Tennessee 3,601 34 

Walla Walla 1,500 23 

Wisconsin 1,096 50 

Total $31,029 38 

There was collected on the above-named mission fields 
as salary for the support of missionaries, $50,271.44. 
Amount paid to home missionaries, including what was 
received from branch treasurers, $188,239.53 ■ making a 
grand total in the four years, for the three departments, 
of $275,723.80. 



UNITED BRETHREN MISSIONS. 87 



CHAPTER XII. 

From 1869 to 1873. 

Work commenced in Germany — Rev. J. Gomer and wife go to Africa — 
Frontier work enlarged — Opposition to our work in Germany — 
Skies brightening in Africa — Rev. J. A. Evans and Mrs. Hadley 
go to Africa — D. F. Wilberforce comes to Dayton — Missionary 
Visitor .and the work generally successful. 

The seventeenth annual session of the board was held near 
Fremont, Ohio, on the 18th of August, 1870, being three 
months later than usual. The General Conference of 
1869 re-elected the same persons for president, secretary, 
and treasurer of the missionary society who had served 
the previous term, to continue four years longer. As 
usual, a few changes occurred among the other members 
of the board. At the annual meeting held the year be- 
fore, it was agreed to commence a mission in Germany. 
In October, 1869, Rev. C. Bischoff and wife sailed for 
that country, having received an appointment from the 
executive committee a short time before. They com- 
menced their labors in Naila Bavaria. In that kingdom 
the civil authorities were required by law to exercise a 
strict surveillance over all independent religious organi- 
zations, which were denied liberties granted to the state 
churches. This, with the fact that there was war between 
Prussia and France, placed many difficulties in their 
way, and made the work slow at fir^t: Before the year 
closed, however, matters took a favorable turn, so that at 
the annual meeting the following record was made in the 
minutes of the board : "We are highly gratified to learn 
that our missionary in Germany has been eminently 



88 HISTORY OF THE 

successful. As a result of his labors, seventy-two have 
united with the Church. We recommend that the execu- 
tive committee make arrangements to send an additional 
missionary to Germany as soon as practicable." 

"While this encouraging intelligence reached us from 
Germany, serious hindrances, mainly growing' out of an 
empty treasury, continued in Africa. Hence the board 
adopted the following at this meeting : 

" Whereas, the executive committee during the year 
did not see its way clear to send laborers to this field, 
and we are not able to do so now ; therefore, 

"Resolved, That, we will give our mission-property in 
Africa, with the missionary on the ground, Kev. J. A. 
Williams, into the care of the American Missionary As- 
sociation until May, 1873 ; also, that we will give what 
is needed to support Mr. Williams during the period 
named." 

The corresponding secretary of our society and the 
corresponding secretary of the American Missionary As- 
sociation had met the previous month in Oberlin, Ohio, 
at the instance of their respective executive committees, 
and considered the conditions upon which said transfer 
should take place. The last letter -from the secretary of 
the American Missionary Association to our secretary, 
written but a few days before this meeting, contained 
the following : " Our executive committee has authorized 
me to complete any arrangements that can be effected 
with you, that will not involve increased expense to us, 
which I think can be done." 

During these well-meant but mistaken efforts of our 
board and executive committee to roll upon others the 
responsibility of carrying forward the mission in Africa, 
our native laborer there, Rev. J. A. Williams, still held 
the fort. He taught a small school part of the time, and 



UNITED BRETHREN MISSIONS. 89 

did some preaching. He was necessarily absent occa- 
sionally to get supplies for himself and family. Pending 
negotiations between our committee and the committee 
of the American Missionary Association, the intelligence 
reached Dayton, Ohio, that Mr. Williams had ' died Sep- 
tember 25th, which was but two weeks after the annual 
meeting. This caused some to be more decided than 
ever before in favor of our society prosecuting with vigor 
the African mission. Our secretary, who had merely 
favored a transfer of the mission to the American Mis- 
sionary Association for the time being, because it seemed 
to be the one hope of retaining it at all, now proposed to 
the executive committee that Mr. J. Gomer and wife be 
appointed to go, and that he would accompany them, 
and remain a year in Africa, The committee, after de- 
ferring final action for one week, decided not to accept 
the offer of the secretary, but to appoint Mr. Gomer and 
wife to that field. Accordingly they sailed December 10, 
1870, and reached Africa in one month. 

During the year excellent success attended the efforts 
put forth on both frontier and home missions. There 
were more extensive revivals of religion, and more new 
Sunday-schools organized, as well as more new houses 
of worship • erected, as a result of the labors of our 
missionaries, than ever before in the same length of 
time. Colorado mission was commenced, Osage and 
East German mission conference were organized, and 
reinforcements were sent to Southern Illinois and Da- 
kota missions. The prosperity, though cheering, was 
not general. A few missions and conferences, owing 
mainly to a lack of wise master builders fully conse- 
crated to the work of saving men, had but little growth, 
and some none at all. The secretary, besides presenting 
to the board the usual annual report, submitted an eight 



90 HISTORY OF THE 

page tract, in which he sketched the origin, progress and 
needs of the society, which was ordered published, and 
fifteen thousand were sent out to the churches. In this 
way, and through the Church papers, especially the Mis- 
sionary Visitor, which was still enlarging its circulation, 
our people were more and more enlisted in the cause of 
missions. 

The eighteenth annual session of the board met in Canton, 
Ohio, August 5, 1871. The secretary in his report in- 
sisted upon a more aggressive and progressive policy. 
He recommended the publication of missionary tracts, 
circulars, and collecting cards for free distribution ; and 
also urged the publication of the history of missions in 
the Church, and that something more effective be done 
to secure money for the church-erection society, which, 
by order of the General Conference, was to be managed 
by the missionary board. As he was the only paid officer 
of these societies, and had the Missionary Visitor to edit, 
the annual and quadrennial reports to prepare, wrote 
about one thousand letters and attended from ten to 
twelve annual conferences, and delivered from eighty to 
one hundred missionary talks in the form of addresses 
and sermons annually, yet not more than half the work 
was accomplished, necessary to keep missions and church- 
erection before the people as they ought to be impressed 
upon their attention. ' He especially urged that steps 
be taken to enlist all the Sunday-schools of the Church 
in the great work of Christian missions, and that they 
be asked to contribute money to this object. He also 
said that the Missionary Visitor, which was commenced 
with doubts as to its success, had then obtained a circu- 
lation of twenty-five thousand copies. This was, indeed, 
a gratifying success accomplished in six years. 

In Germany, owing to the opposition to our work 



UNITED BRETHREN MISSIONS. 91 

upon the part of the civil and state church officials, the 
missionary there could barely hold the ground he had 
obtained the previous year, and reported no progress 
beyond that. A second man could not be found to go 
to Germany during the year, as was directed at the pre- 
vious meeting. In Africa the skies began to brighten 
somewhat. Mr. Gomer and wife had received a hearty 
welcome upon the part of the chief and people of Shain- 
gay. About five months after they began their labors, 
Mr. Gomer wrote : " Our meetings are well attended. 
Chief Caulker himself comes to them, and allows his 
slaves to come to the Sunday-school. He enjoins on 
all the observance of the Sabbath. Yea, more; he has 
become a professed Christian, and urges others to do the 
same. The people were very attentive, especially when 
the chief spoke to them in Sherbro." Such news greatly 
encouraged the Church, after the long, dark time that she 
had waited for good news from that benighted land. 

During the year another missionary was sent to Colo- 
rado, and met with moderate success. Dakota mis- 
sion, with four missionaries, enjoyed a successful year. 
Southern Illinois also succeeded well. Kentucky had 
considerable opposition from Ku-klux, but still moved 
forward. The German missions in Columbus and To- 
ledo, Ohio, prospered very little. There were gratifying 
results in the Parkersburg, Tennessee, Missouri, and 
Osage mission conferences. Kansas and Minnesota made 
slow progress, and Fox River and AVisconsin had rather 
a good year. Ontario, Cascade, and California were but 
little stronger at the end of the year than at the begin- 
ning. Home missions had in the main a prosperous 
year. As is often the case, the fields of labor lying ad- 
jacent to prosperous home missions were this year greatly 
stimulated to increased activity. Home missions have 



92 HISTORY OF THE 

brought into the Church many zealous laborers in the 
vineyard of the Master. 

The nineteenth annual session of the board met August 
9, 1872, in Baltimore, Maryland, in the church erected 
by Rev. William Otterbein, the founder of the Church of 
the United Brethren in Christ. Meeting in this historic 
place, brought to this session a large number of earnest 
missionary workers. The elements of character which 
made the great Otterbein so eminent a Christian and 
so successful a missionary, with the results of his life 
and labors as seen in the city of Baltimore and else- 
where, were a stimulus to the meeting, verifying the 
truth that "though dead, he yet speaketh." 

The year which had just closed was a marked one in 
the history of the society, as will be seen in what fol- 
lows. Though the cry of hard times was general, and 
most charitable institutions had barely held their own, 
or had lost ground, our financial success was greater 
than in any former year. 

Our progress in Africa was also much better than ever 
before. Sixty-three persons were baptized, and scores of 
others had been awakened to a sense of their need of 
salvation. Chief Caulker had for months professed faith 
in Christ, and had lived a consistent Christian until his 
death, which occurred soon after the former meeting of 
the board. To thus be saved from a heathen life at the 
age of about eighty years, was indeed a remarkable 
trophy of grace. 

Rev. J. A. Evans and Mrs. Hadley were sent to Africa 
late in October, 1871. They suffered a good deal with 
sickness during the year, as did Mr. and Mrs. Gomer, but 
still the good work progressed. There was great need 
of a chapel there, for which special contributions were 
solicited, and which had brought to the missionary treas- 



UNITED BRETHREN MISSIONS. 93 

ury about sixteen hundred dollars. The missionaries 
felt they could not wait until this house was completed, 
and therefore had a country-built chapel erected. There 
was also this fact brought to the notice of the board, viz. : 
that while the secretary was in New York assisting Mr. 
Evans and Mrs. Hadley to procure their outfit for Africa, 
he met with a colored boy, Daniel Flickinger Wilber- 
force, who was born in Africa, during his second visit 
there, in 1857. This namesake of the writer had come to 
America as the servant and nurse of two afflicted mis- 
sionaries — husband and wife. He was employed in the 
rooms of the American Missionary Association, in New 
York, awaiting the sailing of a vessel to return to his 
home. When the secretary asked the colored boy his 
name arid the boy promptly answered as above, a clap of 
thunder out of a clear sky would not have surprised him 
more, for he little dreamed that his namesake was then 
in America. The result of this was that Daniel came to 
Dayton, Ohio, and entered school the first of December, 
1871. Within two months he was converted and united 
with the Church, and from that time until he graduated 
from the Dayton High School in 1878, and was ordained 
an elder in the Church two months later, he did well both 
as a scholar and a Christian. He was married in Octo- 
ber, 1878, and with his wife sailed for Africa the follow- 
ing month, where they have labored ever since as mis- 
sionaries. The remarkable providence which brought 
him to America and to Dayton, Ohio, and returned him 
to Africa a well-educated minister of the gospel, clearly 
shows that God's hand was directing him. He has had 
charge of the Clark Training-School, as principal, ever 
since it was opened. Truly, the Lord has wrought won- 
ders, both in Africa and in America, on behalf of that 
mission ; and he thus speaks to the Church as he did to 



94: HISTOEY OF THE 

the children of Israel at the Red Sea, "Go forward." 
Alas ! that this command has been so tardily obeyed. 

The mission in Germany had not made any progress. 
Indeed, there, was danger of losing much that had been 
done the first year, as one man could not turn to good 
account the advantages gained, and the executive com- 
mittee failed to obtain an additional laborer, as it 
wished, to go to his assistance. The board was discour- 
aged, and some thought if help could not be procured 
soon, all effort in Germany had better cease. 

The Dakota and Colorado missions were organized 
into mission conferences, but owing to the severe win- 
ter, oitr missionaries in the West and Northwest were 
much hindered in itinerating, and suffered greatly on 
account of the intensely cold weather. Notwithstanding, 
there was more or less prosperity in all the mission con- 
ferences ; and in Nebraska, where mission work had been 
resumed after it had been given up for years, there was 
rapid growth. The missions in Kentucky, Southern 
Illinois, Toledo and Columbus, Ohio, had no decline, 
and in some of them there was a fair degree of growth 
within the year. 

The board agreed at this meeting to do something for 
the freedmen in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, and 
made a small appropriation for this purpose. It also 
pledged itself anew to pay one half of the money neces- 
sary to support a missionary in Philadelphia, Pennsyl- 
vania, provided the East German Conference would pay 
the other half and furnish a man for that purpose. As 
a rule, the year was more favorable to home than to fron- 
tier missions. These receive closer supervision, and the 
annual conferences have better facilities for selecting 
suitable missionaries and for knowing the probabilities 
of affairs than the board. 



UNITED BRETHREN MISSIONS. 95 

The Missionary Visitor had now a circulation of thirty 
thousand. The question was also discussed as to whether 
the board ought not publish a monthly magazine of 
thirty-two pages, devoted to missions and Sunday-school 
lesson-helps. The secretary insisted that the time had 
come when we should publish our own Sunday-school 
lesson-notes, and that, unless otherwise provided for, he 
would do this in the Missionary Visitor. The former was 
done. 

The board at this meeting ordered a first-class steel- 
plate engraving made for certificates of life membership 
and life directorship of the missionary society, which 
was perfected to the satisfaction of all concerned. 

The secretary had also urged the appointment of suita- 
ble persons to write the history of missions in the 
annual conferences. The appointments were made, but 
more than half failed to accomplish their work. The 
treasurer, Rev. Wm. McKee, having written a history of 
Sherbro mission, in Africa, of about two hundred pages, 
it was urged that an appendix embracing the most im- 
portant facts and statistics from the whole mission field 
of the Church be added to the book, and thus published, 
which was done, making a readable and profitable 
volume. 

The secretary gave a comparative statement of the 
progress made by the society during the last three years, 
which brought out some interesting facts, and which is 
here inserted : " Three years ago there were one hundred 
and ninety-three home missionaries, eighty-seven in the 
frontier and three in the foreign departments of the 
work. These received, from all sources, $83,381.80. The 
following year there were one hundred and eighty-seven 
home missionaries, one hundred and three in the frontier, 
and four in the foreign mission fields, who received, 



96 HISTORY OF THE 

from all sources, $90,334.44. During the year which has 
just closed, one hundred and seventy-nine home mis- 
sionaries have been employed, one hundred and fourteen 
in the frontier department and six in the foreign field, 
who received, from all sources, the sum of $98,781.63. 
The average salary received by our missionaries during 
this year was $330.39, the highest ever paid up to this 
time.'' 

There had been a considerable increase of laborers 
employed in the frontier and foreign fields, and some 
decrease of home missionaries, within the three years 
above considered. 

Steps were taken at this meeting to secure the incor- 
poration of the Church-Erection Society, and to obtain 
more money for its use. The discussions of the board 
were ably conducted, especially upon the following 
questions : " How shall we develop the resources of the 
United Brethren Church?" "How may we do more to 
send the gospel to the heathen?" "How shall the 
church-erection fund be replenished?" 

The twentieth anniversary of the missionary society took 
place in Dayton, Ohio, May 13, 1873. The efforts to put 
the breath of life into the church-erection society were 
not in vain, for during the year help was given to four 
societies to assist them to build houses of worship. The 
missionary treasurer had devoted part of his time to 
this interest, with gratifying results. 

During the year Southern Illinois Mission had been 
organized into a mission conference, six ministers and 
five hundred and twenty-two laymen comprising the 
organization. The executive committee failed to supply 
a laborer for the freedmen's mission in Virginia, but the 
presiding elders of Virginia Conference held meetings 
among them, and reported ninety-eight members. The 



UNITED BRETHREN MISSIONS. 97 

Western and Northwestern mission fields were hard to 
cultivate on account of the fierce storms and severe cold, 
which kept the missionaries from holding protracted 
meetings, and in many instances at some remote places 
no meetings were held for weeks together, where they 
■usually preached every two or three weeks. Many per- 
sons perished in the terrible snow-storms, and some of 
our missionaries suffered intensely, but none fatally. 
Notwithstanding these things, substantial progress had 
been made in all, or nearly all, of the mission confer- 
ences, and in a few there had been large ingatherings of 
members. Others barely held their own in membership, 
but improved otherwise. Home missions had no such 
special obstacles in their way, and hence had average 
prosperity during the year, especially in conferences 
which were wide awake to this kind of work in their 
midst. 

The mission in Germany had been reinforced by the 
addition of Rev. J. Ernst, who reached it December, 1872. 
Just before his arrival, Rev. C. BischofT, who had alone 
carried forward that work thus far, received twenty-six 
more members into the Church, making in all about one 
hundred. After our missionaries decided to separate 
entirely from the state church, only thirty-five of these 
remained ; the others were not willing to surrender their 
privileges in the church to which they belonged by vir- 
tue of being citizens of Bavaria. The civil authorities 
forbade the missionaries from holding further meetings, 
and this caused them to go outside of Bavaria and 
preach, and thus societies were formed elsewhere. 

The African mission was also reinforced. Rev. T. 
Warner and wife were sent in October, and reached the 
mission in the month following. There was quite a 
religious interest, extending to towns and villages miles 



98 



HISTORY OF TEE 



away from Shaingay, the main station. The Macedonian 
call was made, "Come over and help us," to which our 
missionaries responded as frequently as they could, but 
they could not answer all, though six missionaries were 
now in the field. Mr. Warner's special work was to su- 
perintend the erection of a new stone chapel, which was 
commenced before he reached the mission. This chapel, 
although not finished and dedicated until March, 1875, 
was so nearly completed that it was occupied for some 
time before. It has been used for a school-room, as 
well as a preaching place, most of the time since 1881. 
Indeed, it has proved to be a very necessary and use- 
ful house. Before it was built, the barra in Shaingay 
and the parlor in the mission residence were used, 
but often they were too small to accommodate all the 
people. 

The manner in which the funds were secured to build 
this house deserves a passing notice. Its necessity was 
shown through the Church papers, and a call was made 
for money to be sent to the treasurer. It was urged that 
the Sunday-schools and churches, as well as individuals, 
should voluntarily give what they could. Money com- 
menced to be received in sums ranging from twenty-five 
cents to five dollars. Occasionally a contribution came 
exceeding the latter amount, but most of the sums 
received were less. How many thousand Sunday-school 
scholars and people there are who have from five cents 
to twenty-five cents in that house, is not known, but 
there are a good many. It is thirty by forty-five feet, 
with walls of stone and slate-covered roof. It cost about 
three thousand dollars, all of which was given as above 
stated. Owing to some defect in the masonry of the 
walls, they had to be strengthened by putting in iron 
rods the entire length of the wall near the top. Now 



UNITED BRETHREN MISSIONS. 99 

all is substantial, and the building will be serviceable in 
the future, as it has been in the past. 

The activity at Shaingay in building this house and 
clearing the ground to open a farm, the interesting tours 
of our missionauies, as well as the pushing of da}^ and 
Sunday-school work, was creating a good deal of interest 
among the people in that country. Boomphetook, a 
village fourteen miles south of Shaingay, Avas effectually 
reached. by our missionaries, and converts from heathen- 
ism to Christianity were gained there as well as at 
Shaingay. 

The General Conference met two days later in the 
same house in Dayton, Ohio, in which the board met, 
and made some changes in the official management of 
missions. The financial statistics presented at this time 
are as follows for the four years ending May, 1873 : 

Africa $13,985 45 

California '. 1,813 09 

Colorado 2,616 03 

East German 110 25 

Dakota 1,583 87 

Fox River 1,577 59 

Germany 2,216 18 

Kansas 1,286 37 

Kentucky 1,026 54 

Minnesota 1,660 80 

Missouri 1,126 10 

Nebraska 100 00 

Osage (now Neosho) 2,068 68 

Ontario, or Canada 1,779 55 

Ohio German 4,345 75 

Parkersburg 2,315 00 

Southern Illinois 3,190 32 

Tennessee 3,279 92 

Freedmen in Virginia 188 05 

Walla Walla, Washington Territory 2,555 79 

Wisconsin 930 19 

Total $49,755 60 



100 HISTORY OF THE 

Amount paid by mission fields, as salary, in addition 
to these sums from missionary treasury, $58,813.77. 
Paid home missions, received from fields and branch 
treasurers during the four years, $252,256.22 ; making a 
grand total paid to home, frontier, and foreign missions, 
of $360,825.59. 






UNITED BRETHREN MISSIONS. 101 



CHAPTER XIII. 

From 1873 to 1877. 
Change of president and treasurer — Women's praying crusade — Re- 
turn of missionaries — Work commenced in Philadelphia — Rapid 
growth in Nebraska — First churches organized in Africa — Wo- 
man's Missionary Association — Missionaries going to and coming 
from foreign fields — Wrong to have missionary debt — Average of 
one dollar per capita should be given. 

The first meeting of this term, which was the twenty- 
first annual session of the board, was held in Olive Branch 
Chapel, Auglaize County, Ohio, April 16, 1874. The 
General Conference at its session one year before, elected 
Bishop D. Edwards president of the board, instead of 
Kev. J. J. Glossbrenner, who had served in this capacity 
ever since the organization of the missionary society in 
1853. Rev. J. Wi Hott was elected treasurer, in place of 
Rev. Wm. McKee, \yho had served in this capacity for 
eight years. Rev. D. E. Flickinger was continued in 
the secretaryship, and, as was usual at these quadren- 
nial meetings, several other members of the board were 
discontinued and new ones put in their places. 

Notwithstanding the cry of hard times, common in 
the country during the year, there had been no decrease 
in money to the missionary treasury. Best of all, our 
mission work had been successful. Not less than five 
thousand persons had been converted during the year 
under the labors of our missionaries, and most of them 
had become members of the Church. The secretary's re- 
port stated: "The large ingathering of members into the 
churches, the temperance revival, or women's crusade 
against the liquor traffic, indicate the near approach of 



102 



HISTORY OF THE 



better days for the church of Christ. The women's tem- 
perance movement is essentially a missionary work." 
The secretary also recommended the organization of a 
"Woman's Missionary Society in the United Brethren 
Church, whereupon the board took the following action : 
"We recommend the organization ol women's missionary 
societies, wherever this is practicable, in the annual 
conferences ; and if the women's missionary work should 
in the future assume the form of a general church-organ- 
ization, this board will give it cheerful and substantial 
help." 

Rev. P. Warner and wife, and Rev. J. A. Evans re- 
turned from Africa to the United States during the year, 
leaving Mr. Gomer and wife, and Mrs. Hadley the only 
American laborers the society had there. The force be- 
ing thus reduced, although the ground previously gained 
was held, no aggressive work could be attempted, and, 
as a matter of course, the success was not what it would 
have been had the advantages previously gained been 
well followed up with a strong working force in the field. 
Mr. Evans was employed by the executive committee to 
labor among the freedmen of Virginia, which he did to 
the satisfaction of all concerned. 

Rev. C. Bischoff, the society's pioneer missionary to 
Germany, had visited the United States in the spring 
of 1873, and was present at the annual meeting of the 
board, and General Conference of that year. He then 
returned to his mission, and with Rev. J. Ernst did what 
they could to build up the work, but with little success. 
The influences brought to bear against them largely 
neutralized the good they sought to do, but neverthe- 
less, some progress was made outside of Bavaria. 

A German mission was commenced in Philadelphia, 
Pennsylvania, the board paving half the cost and the 



UNITED BRETHREN MISSIONS. 103 

East German Conference the other half, toward the sup- 
port of the missionary. Rev. D. Hoffman being ap- 
pointed missionary, purchased a lot and built a chapel 
twenty-eight by forty-four feet, which was dedicated in 
February of this year. The other missions in America 
under the supervision of the board, had but moderate 
prosperity, but the mission conferences, sixteen in all, 
with slight exceptions had excellent success. During 
the year Nebraska Mission Conference, which had grown 
very rapidly, was organized with a membership of eight 
hundred and forty-one laymen and twenty-six ministers. 
Oregon, which had been a self-supporting conference for 
eight years, had been made a mission conference again 
by the General Conference of 1873. 

Upon home missions the results of the labors of the 
missionaries were gratifying. Quite a number had be- 
come strong enough to support their ministers, and to 
contribute money to send to destitute places, instead of 
receiving it to keep a living ministry in their midst. 
The secretary recommended procuring missionary boxes 
to be given gratis to Sunday-schools and families who 
would agree to use them in collecting missionary money. 
The board approved this, and they were given to all who 
indicated a willingness to use them for the end above 
specified. 

The business of the Missionary Visitor, by order of the 
General Conference of 1873, was transferred from the 
officers of the .missionary society to the control of the 
agent of the Telescope office, the secretary continuing to 
edit it, and the society receiving five hundred dollars 
annually from the publishing house for his services. It 
continued to increase in its circulation. 

During the year five more societies had been assisted 
from the church-erection treasury to build houses of 



104 HISTORY OF THE 

worship, but a larger number of applications had been 
rejected because the treasury was empty. There was, 
still is. and will be until the whole world is enlightened, 
and to a greater extent Christianized, pressing need for 
much more money fur building houses of worship and 
supporting missionaries. So far as work had been done 
during the year, the results were gratifying and the out- 
look in every Avay encouraging. As above indicated, 
there was far too little money to meet "pressing demands 
for enlargement, and these must of necessity constantly 
increase, as long as aggressive and successful work is 
done to "give the heathen to Christ for his inheritance. 
and the uttermost parts of the earth for his possession." 

The twenty-second annual meeting of the board took place 
in Dayton,. Ohio, May 13, 1875. There having been seri- 
ous difficulties in the way of our work, both in Africa 
and Germany, the executive committee asked the secre- 
tary to visit these fields and spend as much time as 
was necessary to understand their true condition ; con- 
sequently he sailed from Xew York, Xovember 14, 1874, 
and on his return the following year arrived in Xew 
York on the 13th of May, the day the board met. He 
sent a telegram that he could not reach Dayton, Ohio, 
until the loth, and hence the following action : " Being 
unable to come to a conclusion in regard to Germany 
and Africa, the committee recommends that action with 
respect to these fields be deferred until Mr. Flickinger can 
be present with us." During the absence of the secre- 
tary, there was considerable said in favor of abandoning 
Germany as a mission field, especially by ministers in 
the Ohio German Conference: hence the committee to 
whom the foreign work was given to prepare a report for 
the board reported as above. The letters written by the 
secretary while abroad had greatly encouraged the board 



UNITED BRETHREN MISSIONS. 105 

and the Church in respect to the African mission, and 
all were now in favor of prosecuting that work with 
renewed energy. It was somewhat surprising to the 
board to find the secretary just as zealous to continue 
the work in Germany. He affirmed that he could vote 
to abandon Africa as readily as Germany. He "had 
seen the poor people of Germany in their oppressed con- 
dition. They needed to be helped to a larger civil and 
religious liberty, and the United Brethren in Christ was 
one of the churches that ought to help them most ener- 
getically." This plain, earnest talk turned the tide, as 
the following action taken immediately after it, shows : 

"We regret to report that the laws of Bavaria have 
been enforced against our missionaries there, so as to pre- 
vent the preaching of the gospel. We recommend that 
should the effort now being made by Brother Bischoff to 
secure permission to organize a church there be unsuc- 
cessful, then he shall labor in Saxony with Brother 
Ernst, or open a work in some other part of Germany, 
and that twelve hundred dollars be appropriated to that 
mission for next year. Also, that we call the attention 
of all our people, and .especially our German friends, to 
the sad spiritual condition of the people of Germany, 
and the great importance of giving that mission more 
earnest sympathy and support." 

Respecting the mission in Africa, the following action 
of the board at this time shows that progress had been 
made, and that the board was encouraged to give it sub- 
stantial support: "We have abundant reason to praise 
the great Head of the Church for the success granted 
during the past year, and that through all the opposi- 
tion to the w T ork, the word of the Lord was not hindered ; 
and we are more than ever convinced that the Master 
desires us to go forward ; therefore, Resolved, 1. That 



106 HISTORY OF THE 

we approve of the changes made in the work and the 
employment of teachers for the schools at Shaingay and 
Boomphetook so as to enable Brothers Williams and 
Gomer to visit other towns and give the gospel to many 
who are yet in darkness. 2. We are thankful to God 
for the completion of the new stone chapel at Shaingay, 
and the country-built chapel at Boomphetook, both of 
which were dedicated to the worship of Almighty God 
by Mr. Flickinger before leaving Africa. 3. That we ap- 
prove the course of the secretary and the missionaries 
in Africa in organizing societies at Boomphetook and 
Shaingay, which are free from polygamy, slavery, pur- 
rowism, and the liquor traffic, and in withholding mem- 
bership from women who are wives of men having other 
wives. 4. That five thousand dollars be appropriated to 
this mission for the current year." 

At the time these first societies were formed in Africa, 
drinking and trafficking in ardent spirits was no bar to 
membership in other churches in Sierra Leone, and 
membership in heathen secret societies was not taken 
into account; and as some Sierra Leone people had set- 
tled in the places where we had organized our societies, 
it caused some little stir among them to be kept from 
joining our church for doing what they had done with 
impunity in other Christian denominations. We had 
much to contend with from this class of people on 
account of our temperance views, and then the love 
these heathen have for intoxicants was greatly against 
us. We maintained our position, however, and do so 
now with less trouble than formerly. 

The frontier missions of the Church had progressed as 
well as usual during the year. The missions among the 
freedmen in Virginia and Kentucky, and the German 
missions in Toledo, Ohio, and Philadelphia, Pennsylva- 



UNITED BRETHREN MISSIONS. 107 

nia, had moderate success. The Tennessee, Osage, Ne- 
braska, Dakota, Minnesota, Colorado, Kansas, Missouri, 
Wisconsin, and Parkersburg conferences had a good year. 
The last four named were stricken from the list of mis- 
sion conferences at this meeting, and Oregon was put on 
the list again, as ordered by the General Conference of 
1873. Oregon, as well as Walla Walla, California, South- 
ern Illinois, Fox River, and Ontario had but very little 
growth, and in some there was a decline, owing to the 
hindrances in the way of successful work. 

Home missions mostly had a prosperous year. It is 
difficult to ascertain the real work of this department, 
owing to constant changes, which sometimes merge two 
missions into one, or make some self-supporting, so that 
boundary lines and the membership belonging to the 
missions are constantly changing. The Church-Erection 
Society during the year assisted eight feeble congrega- 
tions to build houses of worship, and the Missionary 
Visitor was still slowly increasing its circulation. 

The following question was discussed with ability, 
and, we trust, with profit to the cause of missions, at 
this meeting : " What can be done to enlist the young 
men and women who are graduating in our seminaries 
and colleges, in the great work of missions, and induce 
them to enter this field, opened to us by the Master, and 
which is yet so destitute of efficient laborers ?" 

Taking the aggregate of results, there was much in 
the year's work to encourage the society, and the out- 
look was good. God's blessing was most manifest in 
the work accomplished, though here and there a few dis- 
couraging things occurred, as is the case in most church 
enterprises, missions being no exception to the rule. 

The twenty-third yearly meeting of the board commenced 
May 11, 1876, in Dayton, Ohio. This being but a few 



108 HISTORY OF THE 

weeks before the death of Bishop Edwards, who had 
been the president of the board from May, 1873, the 
following was adopted: "Resolved, That we hereby ex- 
press our heartfelt sympathy for our dear brother, Bishop 
D Edwards, in his severe affliction, and assure him that 
though not present to participate in the business of this 
meeting, he is not forgotten by us." The report of the 
secretary said: "There are many obligations resting 
upon us for gratitude to the Giver of all good for His 
great mercy toward us and our missionaries in giving 
them and us a successful year. Xo less than seven thou- 
sand members were brought into our Church the past 
year through their instrumentality. Amid great finan- 
cial depression throughout our country, the receipts to 
our treasury have been in excess of last year. It would 
be well for us to keep in mind the fact, however, that as 
a Church we still fall far below the standard of liberality 
that God's word requires. Your attention is asked to 
the following mode for increasing funds : First, the pub- 
lication of well-prepared tracts, showing the good done. 
Secondly, a yearly budget of news, facts, and general 
intelligence respecting our work, to be published in our 
Church papers, and read by pastors to their people, with 
such comments as will impress them with their duty to 
contribute liberally to its support." 

During the year the Woman's Missionary Association 
of the Church was organized, respecting which the follow- 
ing resolution was adopted: " That the proposed efforts 
of our sisters of the women's board to open schools in 
towns adjacent to our missions in Africa, under the 
supervision of our missionaries, as presented in the 
action of said women's board, has our entire sympathy 
and approval." 

The secretary's report also contained this sentence : 



UNITED BRBTHREN MISSIONS. 109 

"The opportunity offered us to give the gospel to the 
heathen who come to our shores, when it can be done 
so much cheaper than to go to China, ought not longer 
pass unimproved." The board thereupon said: "We 
look favorably to the projection of a mission station at 
some point on the Pacific coast, with the specific view 
to the evangelization of the Chinese ; and we recommend 
that the corrresponding secretary ascertain as soon as 
possible where such station should be located." The 
following was also heartily adopted : " Resolved, That we 
call the attention of our people throughout the Church to 
the importance of holding monthly missionary prayer- 
meetings for the purpose of awakening a deep interest in 
the missionary work and securing a more general out- 
pouring of God's holy spirit for its prosecution." It 
also directed, "That the executive committee continue 
Daniel Flickinger AVilberforce at the High School in 
Dayton, Ohio, two years longer, and furnish him with 
such instruction in vocal and instrumental music as 
should fit him to teach the same upon his return to his 
native land." The increase in the circulation of the 
Missionary Visitor was over twelve hundred above its pre- 
vious highest circulation, and its net profit, allowing five 
hundred dollars for editorial work, was still seven hun- 
dred and fifty-eight dollars. 

The mission in Germany had considerable success 
during the year outside of Bavaria, but we were forbidden 
to work in that kingdom. Rev. J. Ernst, who had 
done good service for about three years, returned to 
America, leaving Rev. C. BischofT the only laborer we 
had there. Mr. BischofT still lived in Naila, Bavaria, and 
went into places outside of Bavaria that were close to 
his place of residence, which was near the line. 

The African mission, notwithstanding war, small-pox, 



110 HISTORY OF THE 

and other unfavorable circumstances, progressed quite 
well. Rev. J. Wolfe was sent out by the board and 
reached the mission in December, 1875. A few months 
afterward Mr. and Mrs. Gomer, having completed a 
term of five years and a half, came to America, reaching 
their home soon after the board met. In January, 
1876, Mr. Gomer wrote the following in regard to the 
previous year's work : " At the beginning of the year 
Satan went to work in earnest, putting forth every effort 
in his power to hinder the progress of the gospel in this 
field of labor. He selected for his prime agent, John 
Caulker, a Mohammedan, a very energetic and daring 
person. Thanks be to God he has given us the victory. 
John Caulker and his accomplices are in Freetown jail, 
and all their efforts to put out the fire which the gospel 
has kindled have only acted as so much oil thrown into 
the flames. I cannot describe to you the effect produced 
upon the minds of the people throughout the country 
by the capture of Caulker and his war party by the gov- 
ernor of Sierra Leone. We missionaries and our little 
band of converts are filled with joy and gladness, not 
because John Caulker is in jail, but because God is 
bringing good out of his war. A number of slaves have 
lost their masters, and three masters, who are professors 
of religion, have lost their slaves. Small-pox has been 
raging for two months, and many have died. As soon 
as they are taken with it they are carried into the bush 
or to a farm shed. Many come from neighboring vil- 
lages to attend worship at Shaingay. The people say, 
■ God done take the country.' I have received ten into 
the church here during the quarter, and nine others into 
a seekers' class. Two of our members died, one of them 
very happy." 

On the frontier field there were some great successes, 



UNITED BRETHREN MISSIONS. Ill 

as well as some failures. Owing to serious difficulties in 
the Walla Walla Mission Conference, it was reduced to 
a mission district at the annual meeting of 1875. These 
having been removed and the prospects being better 
than formerly, the board rescinded its previous action 
and continued it a conference. In California, Colorado, 
Dakota, and Minnesota good progress was made, and in 
Nebraska over a thousand members were added to the 
Church, which was an extraordinary growth for a small 
conference. The success in Tennessee, Southern Illinois, 
Osage, Oregon, Fox River, and Ontario mission confer- 
ences was Very moderate, and in the Kentucky mis- 
sion district scarcely anything was accomplished. The 
Toledo, Ohio, and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, German 
missions also had very little growth. The freedmen's 
mission in Virginia had a successful year. The four 
conferences, Parkersburg, Missouri, Kansas, and Wiscon- 
sin, which had become self-supporting one year before, 
had a very prosperous year. Home missions had also a 
prosperous year, gaining fully five thousand members. 

The twenty-fourth annual meeting of the board was held in 
Vermillion, Illinois, May 8, 1877, two days before the 
General Conference met near the same place. The great 
national centennial of 1876 had brought many people 
from every part of the United States, who necessarily 
paid out a good deal of money in visiting Philadelphia. 
There was an unusual political agitation during the year 
also, as there frequently is preceding an election of presi- 
dent of the United States. So much time and money 
were given to these things as to draw somewhat from 
charitable institutions. The finances of the society were 
well maintained in comparison to other similar institu- 
tions in the country. The secretary's report gave the 
following explanation : 



112 HISTOKY OF THE 

"But for the fact that considerable more money than 
usual came into our treasury for the current contingent 
expenses of the year from bequests and special contribu- 
tions for the African industrial school, and even our 
regular work, we, as well as many other mission boards 
in America, would have to report quite a large debt. A 
small debt against a missionary society is sometimes 
unavoidable ; but it is certainly the better way to carry 
forward mission work with money consecrated to this 
object upon the part of the donor rather, than by money 
consecrated to gain upon the part of the money lender. 
The Bible plan, ' Let every one of you lay by him in 
store, as God hath prospered him,' is the way to obtain 
money for charitable purposes. The practice of doing 
business on borrowed capital is questionable; and in church 
matters, especially in missionary operations, it is a great im- 
propriety, if not a positive wrong. " 

The secretary also had the following in his report: 
" The executive committee did not see its way clear to 
project a mission among the Chinese on the Pacific coast 
during the year, owing mainly to a lack of funds. The 
following extract from a letter written by Rev. S. V. 
Blakeslee, of Oakland, California, last February, and 
published in the Chicago Advance, will show the great 
need of such a mission. He says, ■ About two hundred 
and forty thousand Chinese have come to this country, 
of whom one hundred and twenty thousand are yet 
here, the others having gone back, or died. They are 
already so numerous as to establish for themselves a 
complete social, moral, and commercial support, in all 
their own customs, moralities, and religion. Of the 
whole number who have come, only about five hundred 
have renounced heathenism. Throughout California, 
they have their temples, idols, priests, and heathen vices, 



UNITED BRETHREN MISSIONS. 113 

and are degrading our morals, distracting our politics, 
weakening our military strength, embarrassing our 
schools, rendering difficult the work of our churches, 
preventing white immigration, wearing out our lands, 
and degrading the whole class of manual laborers. Let 
us see to it that the result may not prove as fearfully 
evil and destructive as slavery did, for it is having the 
same effects upon Americans, with the exception that it 
does not ignore the rights of the laborer.' A mission 
might be commenced in connection with the one opened 
in Sacramento City the past year." 

The following from the report of the committee to 
which the African, German, and freedrneirs missions 
were referred, and which was heartily approved by this 
meeting, will indicate all that is necessary to state here 
in respect to these missions : 

"Our large, important, and successful mission work 
in Western Africa, with favorable openings for almost 
indefinite enlargement, places us under the strongest 
obligations to consecrate ourselves fully to the Christian- 
ization of that country. The Sherbro country, extend- 
ing for miles from Shaingay, should be occupied by us 
soon. With two regular mission stations, three chapels 
for day and Sunday-schools, and an industrial school 
but lately commenced, a large number of missionaries 
and native helpers must be kept in the field, and the 
means put into their hands to enable them to work 
advantageously. Our obligations to the faithful mis- 
sionaries we have there, to the heathen, and to the Mas- 
ter, whose command is to ( teach all nations,' require us 
to employ all the means within our reach to prosecute 
that work." 

Mr. and Mrs. Gomer, who had spent almost six months 
in America, returned to Africa during the year, arriv- 



114 HISTORY OF THE 

ing in December, 1876, accompanied by Misses Bow- 
man and Beekman, who were sent by the executive 
committee to teach and otherwise assist in that work. 
In the absence of Mr. Gomer, Rev. J. Wolfe was in 
charge of the mission. Miss Beekman also commenced 
a night school for the benefit of those who could not 
attend the day schools. There was also a fourth day 
school to be opened soon after this meeting, to support 
which Summit Street Sunday-school, of Dayton, Ohio, 
pledged one hundred dollars annually, which pledge has 
been faithfully kept. The secretary in his report, the 
board in its proceedings, and the General Conference 
also recognized the valuable services of the Woman's 
Missionary Association in establishing a school in Africa, 
and commended their purpose to enlarge their work 
there, in connection with the work of the Board of Mis- 
sions. Respecting Germany, it adopted the following: 
" We recommend that our work in Germany be prose- 
cuted vigorously, and that additional help be employed, 
provided the civil authorities do not close the door 
against us." Rev. C. BischofT, who was the only mis- 
sionary there, wrote that he preached a good deal, as did 
also some of the quarterly conference preachers, and that 
he had seventy-three members who had left the state 
church. 

The freedmen's mission in Virginia had succeeded 
well under the labors of the two brethren employed. 
The board and General Conference both expressed deep 
sympathy in behalf of this work ; but, alas S on account 
of not having suitable men to prosecute it after Rev. 
Evans returned to Africa, and having no money to de- 
vote to this object, little has been done. 

The Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and Toledo, Ohio, 
missions made satisfactory progress during the year, and 



UNITED BRETHREN MISSIONS. 115 

the board resolved to prosecute them vigorously. The 
mission in Kentucky had average success, but the great 
poverty of that country and want of liberality upon the 
part of those living there who could do something, were 
discouraging features. In the following mission confer- 
ences there was prosperity, viz : California, Colorado, 
Nebraska, Osage, Minnesota, and Tennessee. In several 
of these there was marked progress made during the 
year, and in all quite a good deal was done to build 
up the Church. In Ontario, Fox River, Dakota, Walla 
Walla, Oregon, and Southern Illinois, the work did not 
succeed so well. Some of these lost heavily by emigra- 
tion, in some there was a want of harmonious effort, 
and in others a great lack of laborers. The grasshopper 
scourge and failure of crops kept back financial progress, 
which made it still harder to work successfully in some 
of these conferences. Home missions had a large share 
of prosperity during the year, and home missionaries 
reported nearly five thousand conversions and accessions 
to the Church. Here, as in the frontier and foreign de- 
partments, the more the success the greater the demand 
for additional laborers. 

The secretary, in his reports both to the board and to 
the General Conference, emphasized the thought that 
there should be given for missions an annual average of 
one dollar to the member. He had urged this in the Mis- 
sionary Visitor, of which he was editor, and in other 
Church periodicals, as well as in missionary sermons 
and addresses which he delivered, for four or five years^ 
but now he made this the key-note of his plea for more 
money, and insisted on the General Conference devising 
ways and means by which so reasonable and necessary 
an object might be secured for the future. The follow- 
ing extract taken from the secretary's report to the 



116 HISTORY OF THE 

General Conference is suggestive : "Our foreign mission 
work has taught us the highest form of benevolence. 
We give to it, expecting no return save that which 
accrues from the grateful acknowledgment of the saved 
heathen; yea, without so much as hoping to see those 
who are benefited by our gifts until we shall meet them 
before the judgment seat of Christ ... It has taught us 
another valuable lesson, namely, that it is safe to engage 
in large undertakings for God. He sometimes leads 
churches and nations into places where they are com- 
pelled to undertake and accomplish great things, or be 
dishonored, not to say destro} T ed. Had we known in 
1861, when our late war commenced, what a task it 
would be to crush the rebellion, the sacrifice of life, 
treasure, and happiness that would be required, we 
would have despaired of ever saving our country, and 
perhaps ceased all effort. We had not the faintest idea, 
then, what we could do to extricate ourselves from the 
fearful dilemma into which we had fallen. As we went 
deeper and deeper into it, we realized more and more 
the fact that we had to get out, or be hopelessly ruined. 
In the providence of God we commenced a mission in 
Africa over twenty years ago, which was then for us no 
small undertaking. But it has grown and continues to 
grow, so that it needs thrice the number of laborers and 
five times the amount of money now it did at the begin- 
ning of the last decade. Why, we are so deep into the 
work there, that we must go forward or be disgraced in 
the eyes of God and men forever. The heathen there 
would rise up in judgment and condemn us if we did 
not." 

The following table shows the amount paid out for 
the support of missions during the four years ending 
May, 1877: 



UNITED BRETHREN MISSIONS. 117 

Africa . $23,913 28 

Arkansas Valley 249 88 

California 2,470 18 

Colorado 2,646 19 

East German 2,105 49 

Dakota 3,079 52 

Fox River 1,866 00 

Germany 4,108 91 

Kansas, 722 69 

Kentucky 756 00 

Minnesota 2,350 88 

Missouri 982 74 

Nebraska 2,356 87 

Neosho, or Osage 2830 00 

Ontario 1,446 00 

Ohio German 1,251 12 

Oregon 1,812 57 

Parkersburg 1,149 92 

Southern Illinois , 2,482 56 

Tennessee . 2,260 40 

Freedmen in Yirginia 1,174 52 

Walla Walla 1,785 43 

Wisconsin 804 48 

Total M f64,605 63 

In addition to these sums paid by the mission treas- 
ury, the above mission fields paid their missionaries 
$61,079.14. Home missionaries received from their fields 
of labor and from branch treasurers during the four 
years ending May, 1877, the sum of $249,116.27; making 
a grand total for honie, frontier and foreign missions, 
of $374,801.04. 



118 HISTORY OF THE 



CHAPTER XIV. 

From 1877 to 1881. 

Missionary bishop for Pacific Coast — Unjust discrimination against 
color — Missionary quarterly — Wilberforce and wife go to Africa — 
Boys' home built in Africa — Persecution in Germany — Organiza- 
tion of mission districts in Africa and Germany — Prosperity at 
home and abroad. 

The board met in its twenty-fifth annual session in Harts- 
ville, Indiana, May 10, 1878. The General Conference 
of 1877 had again elected Bishop J. J. Glossbrenner pres- 
ident, and Rev. D. K. Flickinger secretary, but chose 
Rev. J. K. Billheimer for treasurer instead of Rev. J. W. 
Hott, who was elected editor of the Telescope. A few 
new members of the board had also been chosen. The 
General Conference also elected .Rev. N. Castle mission- 
ary bishop of the Pacific coast, his district to embrace 
California, Oregon, and Walla Walla mission confer- 
ences. Ex-bishop Shuck was appointed missionary to 
California soon after, who, with his wife, and Bishop and 
Mrs. Castle had gone to California in the autumn of 1877. 
The three conferences had a reasonably prosperous year, 
and the outlook for the future was brightening. The 
General Conference had divided the Michigan Confer- 
ence, continuing the old name to that which was in the 
southern part of the State, and making the northern 
portion a mission conference, called Saginaw. This new 
conference had a prosperous year, as had also Minnesota, 
Nebraska, and Osage conferences. The other frontier 
mission fields, viz. : Tennessee, Kentucky, Southern 
Illinois, Colorado, Dakota, Fox River, Ontario, the Ger- 



ifet 



n 




UNITED BRETHREN MISSIONS. 119 

man missions in Toledo, Ohio, and Philadelphia, Penn- 
sylvania, and the freedmen's mission in Virginia had but 
limited growth, and upon some not only was little prog- 
ress made, but the outlook for the future was not very 
encouraging. There was a strong pressure brought to 
bear upon the board at this meeting to project a new 
German mission in Minnesota, but the financial condi- 
tion of the treasury would not admit of it. Home mis- 
sions had success in some of the conferences, but in 
others little was done in this department of work. The 
year, taken as a whole, was not very successful, either 
in the home or frontier missions of the Church. 

In the foreign department the work progressed satis- 
factorily, as the following action of the board at this 
meeting shows: "We are thankful to our heavenly 
Father that the difficulties connected with our mission 
in Africa during the past year have mostly passed away, 
and that the present outlook is, quite hopeful, provided 
we soon forward reinforcements. We approve of Mr. 
Gomer's purpose to open two additional schools in 
Africa, and we earnestly urge Sunday-schools in this 
country to respond .to the call for money needed to con- 
tinue them." The board also approved a recommenda- 
tion to send D. F. Wilberforce, who had about finished 
his course of studies in the High School at Dayton, Ohio, 
to Africa, and to provide other necessary assistance. 

The mission in Germany also had some success during 
the year, and a more cordial support was accorded it 
upon the part of the Church at home than formerly. 
Rev. C. Bischoff, and the quarterly conference men whom 
he had called to his help, were all the workers the 
society had in that country. They were still abridged 
in their liberty, and as a matter of course worked under 
many disadvantages. 



120 HISTORY OF THE 

The society had for years done something for church- 
erection, but so little the past year that the secretary, 
in his report to the board, said, "So little has been 
accomplished in this department of our church work, 
that but for the necessity of saying something, I would 
most gladly pass it by. There have been about fifty 
applications, requiring some labor and expense to am 
swer them, and only four hundred and seventy-nine 
dollars and ten cents collected for this purpose. We 
ought to do more, or quit." 

The secretary of the board had corresponded with 
Hon. Carl Schurz, secretary of the interior department, 
Washington, D. C, during the year, for the purpose of 
securing recognition by the United States Government 
for our church, that our Board of Missions might be 
placed on a par with other mission boards in recom- 
mending suitable persons to be appointed as Indian 
agents. While other denominations smaller than ours 
and doing less in mission work than our church, were 
upon the list, a number of our people felt we ought to 
be there also. The honorable secretary treated this with 
great indifference, and finally wrote: "The Indian agen- 
cies are now divided between the various denomina- 
tions, and no new division can be made without their 
consent. Possibly you might yourself, by correspon- 
dence, effect a transfer of some agency to your society." 
As a matter of course, this the secretary of the board 
never did, and thus the matter ended. 

The twenty -sixth annual session of the board commenced 
in Westerville, Ohio, May 9, 1879. The following shows 
the temper of the board in respect to the down-trodden 
and its willingness to help them: "Resolved, That the 
unjust discrimination becoming so general in this coun- 
try against negroes, Indians, Chinese, and all who have 



UNITED BRETHREN MISSIONS. 121 

mixed blood, is criminal before God and a shame to our 
Christian civilization. The Chinese, because they work 
for fair wages and do not patronize the venders of intox- 
icating drinks; the Indians, because they have been 
forcibly deprived of their lands, and on account of being 
shamefully cheated and outraged, do at times resent 
these wrongs ; and the Africans, because they were forci- 
bly reduced to chattels, and regained their God-given 
rights, are despised, misused and cruelly wronged. We 
are none the less under the same obligations to them 
as we are to others. They bear the image of God. Christ 
died for them, and hence they have claims upon our 
sympathy, benevolence, and efforts for their civiliza- 
tion." 

The secretary also recommended at this meeting the 
publication of a missionary quarterly, through which 
valuable missionary intelligence might be put into per- 
manent form. He had in former reports suggested the 
publication of tracts to be read by pastors to their people, 
and a plan to receive their missionary money in weekly, 
monthly, or quarterly installments, instead of only onoe 
during the year. He urged that many would give ten 
cents a week who could not, or would not, give at one 
time five dollars. He quoted the following to show that 
the organ of the board was doing good service : " No one 
of our periodicals has done or could do as much to cul- 
tivate a disposition to sustain the institutions of the 
Church as the Missionary Visitor." It had now a circu- 
lation of nearly forty thousand. 

In June, 1878, Daniel Flickinger Wilberforce grad- 
uated from the Dayton High School. The following 
August he became a member of Miami Conference, was 
ordained, and in October he married Miss E. Harris. 
They sailed for Africa the nexth month, reaching Shain- 



122 HISTORY OF THE 

•gay the 24th of December, and on the following day they 
spent a happy Christmas with their new friends. 

During the year the boys' home, a building thirty by 
seventy-five feet had been completed, and shops were 
built for the industrial school. There were fourteen 
boys and five girls in this school, the girls lodging 
with the missionaries and the boys in the house built 
for them. This school had done well. The farm had 
produced arrowroot, corn, cocoa, cassava, yams, sweet 
potatoes, ginger, and other edibles to the value of one 
hundred and fifty dollars. Mr. Gomer wrote that they 
had five day and Sunday-schools, and were doing well. 
During the year Mr. Gomer visited Liberia, in reference 
to which he wrote to the board about two months be- 
fore it met: "I have just returned from Liberia. I 
hired a farmer, bought three hundred coffee-plants and 
two bushels of coffee-seed." The executive committee 
directed that Mr. Gomer should superintend the indus- 
trial school and the general work, and Mr. W'ilberforce 
take charge of the day schools and book-keeping, Mrs. 
Gomer be house-keeper, and Mrs. Wilberforce teach the 
girls to sew, and all to be active in conducting the relig- 
ious services of the mission. 

The mission in Germany gained a native missionary 
this year in the person of Rev. G. Xoetzold, who came 
to us from another church. He and Rev. Christian 
BischofT devoted their time to itinerating. Other quar- 
terly conference preachers, some of whom had been 
raised up during the year, also preached more or less. 
Opposition, coming from various sources, still had to be 
endured. At one place a party of men came to where a 
meeting was in progress, forcibly broke down the door 
and laid violent hands on a couple of our members., 
who they supposed were missionaries, but the two 



UNITED BRETHREN MISSIONS. 123 

they were after were not present at the time. Notwith- 
standing all this, the work went forward very well. Mr. 
Bischoff arranged five different missions and employed 
four of the quarterly conference men he had received, 
who, with himself, supplied them at a cost of one thou- 
sand dollars furnished by the board. 

In the frontier field one new mission conference was 
organized during the year, called West Nebraska. This, 
with East Nebraska, Osage, Colorado, California, Dakota, 
Minnesota, and Saginaw had a good degree of prosperity. 
In Tennessee, Southern Illinois, Fox River, Ontario, 
Walla Walla, and Oregon mission conferences the suc- 
cess was not great, owing largely to a lack of efficient 
laborers, and there was but moderate success in the 
mission district in Kentucky, among the freedmen in 
Virginia, and in Toledo, Ohio, during the year. Phila- 
delphia mission was divided, that part lying in Camden, 
New Jersey, being taken from it and made a separate 
mission, with some prospects of growth. Home mis- 
sions were more successful than the year before, and 
upon some rapid progress was made ; and not the least 
to be mentioned is the fact that the Church was becom- 
ing more and more interested in the great work of the 
salvation of the destitute, both in heathen and in Chris- 
tian lands. During the year the society made grants 
from the funds contributed to the Church-Erection So- 
ciety to three churches for the purpose of erecting houses 
of worship, which shows it still had some life in it. 

The board met for its twenty-seventh annual session in Fos- 
toria, Ohio, May 6, 1880. In October, 1879, the secretary, 
at the request of both the missionaries in Germany and 
Africa, and of the executive committee, took his depart- 
ure from the United States to spend the balance of the 
mission year with the missionaries in these foreign 



124 HISTORY OF THE 

fields. On his return home he arrived in New York City 
the day the board met, having been absent for seven 
months. The treasurer of the society had performed the 
secretary's duties during his absence, and in his report 
to the board submitted the following from the secretary 
in respect to Germany : 

"Having decided to organize the mission into a mis- 
sion district, we called the missionaries to Lobenstien, 
December 10, 1879, for that purpose. The following mis- 
sionaries were admitted: Revs. C. Bischoff, G. Xoetzold, 
F. Holeshuer, H. Oelschlagel, G. Gottschalk, and H. 
Barkemeyer. There were reported thirty-four preaching 
places, eleven organized classes, and two hundred and 
thirty-five members. Five missionaries were employed 
last year, and one was added at this meeting." 

The work in this field was taking permanent root, not- 
withstanding the opposition and the want of liberty to 
work in a number of places. The board failing to send 
men from America, Mr. Bischoff, who was in charge, 
induced them to enlist in the work here. Some of these 
were obtained from other denominations and soon left 
us, but still the work was permanently planted there, 
and as cheaply as it would have been had the laborers 
come from the United States. Mr. Bischoff was deter- 
mined to succeed, and saw little prospect to do it in any 
other way. 

The secretary, after spending six weeks among the 
missionaries in Germany, visiting all of the principal 
points at which they preached, started for Africa imme- 
diately after the organization at Lobenstien, and spent 
three months there. While in Africa he also visited all 
the preaching places, and in the month of March, 1880, 
organized that mission into a mission district, having 
also six ministers, viz. : Revs. J. Gomer, D. F. Wilber- 



UNITED BRETHREN MISSIONS. 125 

force, J. C. Sawyer, J. P. Hero, J. W. Pratt, and B. W. 
Johnson. The last named was laboring under the aus- 
pices of the Woman's Missionary Association, the other 
five under the direction of the Board of Missions. At 
Shaingay, at which place this meeting occurred, there 
was much interest awakened among the people. All 
the teachers and missionaries of both of our societies 
operating in Africa were present from Saturday until 
Monday, and it was a time of great rejoicing. Mrs. Mair, 
who was in charge of the women's work at Rotufunk 
at the time, was also present, and took an active and 
earnest part in the proceedings. The organization of 
mission districts, both in Africa and Germany, gave a 
new impetus to these mission fields, and greatly encour- 
aged the Church at home. The writer will never forget 
his feelings and impressions as he saw the work taking 
form in so substantial a manner. 

The German missions in America in and near Phila- 
delphia, Pennsylvania, and in Toledo, Ohio, had consid- 
erable prosperity during the year, and the freedmen's 
mission in Virginia did as well as could be expected 
with but one laborer in the field. Kentucky mission 
district had a prosperous year, gaining one hundred and 
seventy-six members, and building two new meeting- 
houses. As usual, it raised but little money for any 
general interest of the Church. 

The mission conferences, now fourteen in number, 
viz. : Tennessee, Southern Illinois, Osage, West Kansas, 
Colorado, California, Oregon, Walla Walla, West and 
East Nebraska, Dakota, Minnesota, Fox River, and Sagi- 
naw all had some prosperity, a portion of them a good 
deal, and a few of them had but little ; yet substantial 
progress was made in this department of mission work. 
In the home department the work progressed well gener- 



126 HISTORY OF THE 

ally. Quite a number of the conferences had incurred 
a debt in their zeal to prosecute this work, and were 
making a determined effort to liquidate the same. To 
do this an extra collection was taken in many places, 
which decreased the sums collected for general distri- 
bution, and indirectly kept some money from the parent 
treasury. This also caused some home missions to be 
abandoned, and kept other new ones from being formed, 
which otherwise would have been done. 

The Church-Erection Society did good work this year. 
The treasurer of the society put forth special efforts in 
urging its claims, which brought more than twice the 
amount of money into his hands he ever received in one 
year before. In all, forty churches had been helped; 
none to large sums, but enough to stimulate them to 
erect houses of worship since the organization of the 
society in 1869. This society being under the direction 
of the managers of the missionary society, and having 
the same officers, received less attention because the 
want for missionary money was so great. 

The twenty-eighth annual meeting of the board occurred 
May 11, 1881, in Lisbon, Iowa, the same place the Gen- 
eral Conference met the next day. 

In Africa, where we had less than three hundred seek- 
ers and church members, there was much done during 
the year. Mr. Gomer wrote, just before this meeting: 
"Five new members have been received into the church 
at Shaingay. The Sabbath is well observed here and 
elsewhere, where our schools are located, and in other 
villages. To compare ten years ago with the present, 
it does not seem like the same place. Then, every 
farm had its medicine, and every hut its devil-house, or 
sabe- house. The latter is where the spirits of the old 
people are supposed to dwell. Now, there are many vil> 



UNITED BRETHREN MISSIONS. 127 

lages where none of these things are seen. The future 
of this country looks hopeful." The missionaries, be- 
sides keeping up four day and Sunday-schools, did a 
good deal of itinerating into neighboring towns, preach- 
ing the gospel. This, with the weekly meetings for 
prayer and Bible study, and training of native converts 
for teachers and preachers, with the blessing of God, 
promised future success. Jhe business affairs of a mis- 
sion among the heathen — such as building mission 
residences, chapels and school-houses, procuring shops, 
managing farms and erecting boats to travel in — is a 
heavy tax upon the time and energy of missionaries. 

Of the German mission district, the secretary's report 
stated: "Though Germany is the land of schools and 
learned men, there is great need of just such missionary 
labor as we were doing there. The people are heavily 
taxed to support their civil and military institutions. 
It is by practising the most rigid economy that the poor 
can make both ends meet, owing to the small price paid 
for labor. To be required, under these circumstances, 
to pay for building state churches, pay pastors, organ- 
ists, and even the choirs for furnishing music, has given 
them such a disgust for their institutions, especially 
their religious services, that the majority of people at- 
tend church only on funeral or extraordinary occasions. 
The religious services there, with slight exceptions, are 
a cold, formal, unsatisfactory exercise, furnishing but 
little food for mind or soul. The pastors are not unfre- 
quently in the beer-houses indulging in drink with the 
people through the week, and when Sunday comes most 
\f the people return to these places of resort, leaving 
the pastors to preach to empty pews. In many villages 
there are no religious services. That country needs and 
deserves our help to reform its drinking habits and dese- 



128 HISTORY OF THE 

cration of the Lord's day, and to teach its people experi- 
mental godliness. As a Chnrch we are repaying a just 
debt Germany has upon us for giving us the great and 
good Otterbein, our founder. We have at this time 
nine missions, with two hundred and ninety-seven 
members, and nine Sunday-schools with two hundred 
and ninety children in them. Poor as our people are, 
they paid in the last year for all Church purposes, three 
hundred and fifty dollars in this district." 

The freedmen's mission in Virginia, German missions 
in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and Toledo, Ohio, barely 
held their own, and Kentucky mission district did no 
better. In the Saginaw, Minnesota, Dakota, Colorado, 
East and West Nebraska, West Kansas, Osage and 
Tennessee mission conferences there was something 
done in building meeting-houses, and increasing the 
number of Sunday-schools and members of the Church. 
In some there was a good deal of revival power, but the 
winter had been cold and stormy, and in the West and 
Northwest meetings could not be held sometimes on 
this account. Fox Eiver and Southern Illinois confer- 
ences, as was too often the case with them, made but 
little progress during the year. The Pacific coast con- 
ferences had a good year in the main. Woodbridge 
Seminary (now a college), in California; Philomath 
College, in Oregon, and Huntsville Seminary, in Walla 
Walla Conference, being yet quite young, especially the 
two seminaries, were prospering. 

Home missions made commendable success, and owing 
to the large emigration from the old country, there was 
a growing sentiment in the Church that more attention 
should be given to those cities and places in which so 
many persons coming to the United States were settling. 
There were at this time three hundred and seventy-four 



UNITED BRETHREN MISSIONS. 129 

missionaries employed in the three departments of labor, 
the largest number of whom were upon home missions, 
and less than twenty in the foreign fields. 

Among the indirect or secondary good results of mis- 
sion work in the United States, may be mentioned the 
organization of many new Sunday-schools, and the rapid 
increase of Sunday-school periodicals and lesson-helps 
sold to these from our publishing house. The educa- 
tional work was also much helped thereby, as the three 
institutions on the Pacific coast and the other three 
found in Kansas, Nebraska, and Missouri are the out- 
growth of the missions carried on by the Church in 
these places. From the organization of the Board of Mis- 
sions in May, 1853, to this time, just twenty-eight years, there 
had been no less than one hundred and fifteen thousand mem- 
bers received into the Church through the labors of our mis- 
sionaries alone. The average cost of a member was not 
to exceed ten dollars, and as nearly as figures can show 
the results, for every fifteen dollars of missionary money 
expended, one soul was led to accept Christ as a Sa- 
vior. That the smiles of Jehovah were upon this work, 
leading the Church to victory and greater success in all 
its undertakings, is evident. 

Building up missions among the Germans, both in 
Germany and in the United States, is quite slow work ; 
and carrying forward mission work in Western Africa 
among the most degraded heathen to be found, who 
are without a written language, and where cannibalism, 
slavery, witchcraft, purrowism, and polygamy are seen 
in their most horrible aspects, and where the super- 
stitions of the people enter into everything they do, 
is also a very slow and difficult work. But God is 
giving success to his gospel in both these mission fields. 

9 



130 



HISTORY OF THE 



The following table shows the amount paid out in the 
four years ending May, 1881 : 

Africa , $ 26,718 41 

California 3,409 25 

Colorado 2,257 92 

East German 2,150 00 

Dakota v 2,329 71 

Fox River 1,789 55 

Germany .4,616 35 

Kentucky 1,339 58 

Minnesota 2,713 93 

East Nebraska , 2,443 13 

Neosho (or Osage) 2,469 36 

North Michigan 1,672 12 

Ontario 783 30 

Ohio German 1,262 51 

Oregon 2,076 55 

Southern Illinois 2,296 56 

Tennessee 3,236 84 

Freedmen in Virginia 1,236 64 

Walla Walla, Washington Territory 2,375 67 

West Kansas '. 943 6Q 

West Nebraska 1,800 00 

Total §69,921 09 

Amount paid by these fields to their missionaries, as 
salary, $73,882.11. Paid to home missionaries, from all 
sources, during the four years ending May, 1881, the sum 
of $245,720.00; making a grand total paid to home, fron- 
tier and foreign missions, of $389,523.50. 



UNITED BRETHREN MISSIONS. 131 



CHAPTER XV. 

From 1881 to 1SS5. 
Commencing new mission stations in Africa — Rev. Gomer and wife 
come home, and then return to Africa — Transfer of Mendi mission 
to the United Brethren Board of Missions, with money necessary to 
sustain it — Freedmen's Missions Aid Association of London — Papers 
published in Africa and Germany — Chinese on the Pacific coast — 
Rapid growth in all the departments of work. 

The twenty-ninth annual meeting of the board took place 
in Lebanon, Pennsylvania, May 26, 1882. The General- 
Conference of 1881 had made no change in the officers 
of the board, but had added some new members to it, 
enlarging it to fourteen, instead of twelve as at first. 

Owing to important matters to be looked after in 
Africa, the secretary was requested by the executive 
committee to visit that country again, which he did, 
going in a sail vessel. He left New York the 1st of 
December, 1881, and returned the day before the board 
convened. Rev. J. Gomer and wife, having completed 
their second term of five years in Africa, accompanied 
him to America, all three attending this meeting of the 
board before proceeding to their homes in Ohio. 

The year had been a prosperous one in Africa, espe- 
cially in enlarging the work. The chief of the Sherbro 
country, Mr. George Caulker, had died about five months 
before the secretary visited Africa, and his brother, 
T. N. Caulker, became his successor. The new chief was 
more friendly to the mission than his brother had 
been, so that the secretary and the missionaries boldly 
launched out to obtain new sites for permanent mission 
stations, and succeeded in securing the following sites, 



132 HISTORY OF THE 

each containing a hundred and sixty acres of land : 
At Rembee, about twenty miles from Shaingay, in a 
northeasterly direction ; at Mambo, fifteen miles south 
of Rembee ; at Mo-Fuss, fifteen miles east of Mambo ; 
at Tongkoloh, twenty miles south of Mo-Fuss; and at 
Koolong, about eighteen miles northwest of Tongko- 
loh, and but fourteen miles south of Shaingay. This 
circle of mission stations, extending interior from ten 
to twenty miles, and about one hundred miles around, 
embraced over one hundred towns. At each station 
there was a resident missionary, and day and Sunday- 
schools; and from these central stations many other 
towns are easily visited by the resident missionaries and 
their helpers, for the purpose of preaching the gospel. 
One object for which land was obtained, was to teach 
the mission boys how to cultivate it properly, and train 
them, as well as the girls, to habits of industry, and thus 
become helpers in the work of enlightening the people. 
It was also a consideration to have this land, which cost 
but little, to settle converts upon, in lots of from five to 
ten acres, and thus keep them under Christian influence, 
and so far as possible, from heathen practices. It is an 
important part of mission work in Africa to teach the 
people how to farm, how to. build and live in houses, 
how to raise, cook, and eat food, how to make and wear 
clothes, how to take care of their bodies as well as their 
souls, — in short, how to make an honorable, honest 
living, how to care for themselves, and how to act toward 
each other as well as toward the Lord. To be civilized 
and Christianized, they must be helped out of the small, 
dirty, cheerless mud huts in which they live; clothes 
must be put upon their naked bodies; they must eat 
their food from tables, instead of sitting on the ground 
and taking it with their hands out of the same vessel in 



UNITED BRETHREN MISSIONS. 133 

which it is cooked; and they must sleep upon some 
kind of decent beds, instead of upon mats on the ground, 
as the majority now do. To do this, profitable employ- 
ment must be given them. Hence the necessity of 
teaching boys and girls how to work. The people there 
love to live in good style, and acquire property, and 
about as large a proportion of them succeed in amassing 
wealth as do white people under no more favorable cir- 
cumstances. Our forefathers were once as degraded as 
these people in Africa, selling their wives and children 
as slaves, and doing things as barbarous and inhuman as 
many things so revolting to our feelings now done in 
that country. 

The year had been a very good one jn Germany also. 
The executive committee had sent the editor of the' 
German paper, Rev. Wm. Mittendorf, to visit the mis- 
sion and hold the annual meeting. He examined into 
affairs closely and made a favorable report. His travel- 
ing expenses were paid by the missionary treasurer, but 
nothing was allowed for his time. Nine regular mis- 
sionaries were employed, who received an average salary 
of two hundred dollars, the board at this meeting in- 
creasing its appropriations to Germany from sixteen 
hundred and fifty to two thousand dollars. 

The following frontier mission conferences were, in 
the main, prosperous : Walla Walla, Oregon, California, 
Tennessee, West and East Nebraska, Dakota, Minnesota, 
West Kansas, and North Michigan, more especially the 
last two mentioned. Osage Conference was made self- 
supporting by the General Conference of 1881, and a new 
conference, embracing some of its territory, and known 
as Arkansas Valley Mission Conference, was formed. 
This conference did well during the year. The Fox 
River and Southern Illinois conferences, Kentucky dis- 



134 HISTORY OF THE 

trict, and freedmen's mission in Virginia, as well as the 
German missions in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and 
Toledo, Ohio, had but little success, though the out- 
look for the future was improving in the last named. 
Ir> Colorado there was serious trouble, resulting in the 
withdrawal of some of our missionaries from the Church, 
which somewhat militated against the work there. In 
Denver City, however, the Church gained valuable prop- 
erty, mostly donated by Mr. J. W. Smith, who, though 
not a member, was a warm friend of the Church, and 
gave this year about fifteen thousand dollars. The out- 
look was quite hopeful in this department, with the 
slight exceptions named. 

The home missions, in the thirty-one self-supporting 
conferences, had a good year, numbering two hundred 
and fourteen ministers, with fifteen thousand, five hun- 
dred and thirty-two members, three thousand, five hun- 
dred and sixty-three of whom were received during the 
year. The amount of missionary money paid to these 
conferences from the branch treasurers was over twenty 
thousand dollars. The Missionary Visitor had reached a 
circulation of about forty-five thousand, which was most 
gratifying. Church-erection was also making commend- 
able progress in comparison with the little it had gained 
in previous years, and most of the work of the board 
was progressing satisfactorily. 

The thirtieth annual session of the board occurred in Dub- 
lin, Indiana, May 31, 1883. The most important year's 
work in the history of the society had just closed. Rev. 
J. Gomer and wife had returned to their work in Africa 
early in November, 1882. Only a short time before, the 
secretary obtained information that the American Mis- 
sionary Association was about to transfer Mendi mission 
to the American Board, in exchange for one or more 



UNITED BRETHREN MISSIONS. 135 

Indian missions. Mendi mission being contiguous to 
Sherbro mission on the south, and in successful opera- 
tion before ours was commenced, and the two having 
co-operated and been on terms of friendship from the 
beginning, very naturally caused Mr. Flickinger to be 
deeply interested in this change. This caused him to 
write to Dr. Strieby, the secretary of the American Mis- 
sionary Association, that he hoped Mendi mission would 
be properly cared for, giving it as his opinion that if it 
had such supervision as Sherbro mission received under 
Rev. J. Gomer, with no more money than had been sent 
it, success would be the result. Mendi mission had been 
badly managed by those in charge in Africa, and for 
some years but little good was effected. Late in Novem- 
ber, the secretary of the American Missionary Associa- 
tion wrote to our secretary to ask if the United Brethren 
Church would take control of Mendi mission and keep 
it going -for five years on the avails of the Avery fund, 
which amounted to five thousand dollars annually; 
also, whether it would accept eight thousand dollars 
which had been collected by Sunday-schools for the 
special purpose of building a small steamer for Africa, 
to be called the John Brown, and take charge of the 
building and running of said steamer. As the headquar- 
ters of Mendi mission are one hundred and twenty miles 
south of Freetown, and sixty miles south of Sherbro 
mission, the missionaries were compelled to go occasion- 
ally to Freetown, the port at which those from abroad 
debarked and embarked, and where supplies of every 
description and the mails were received, it was very 
desirable to have a more convenient way to go to and 
from Freetown, as well as from Bonthe to Shaingay, the 
headquarters of these two missions. After further cor- 
respondence, the terms of transfer between the executive 



136 HISTORY OF THE 

committees of the three missionary boards were agreed 
to about the 1st of December, 1882, one of the condi- 
tions being that the secretary of the United Brethren 
board should go to England for the purpose of contract- 
ing for the building of the steamer John Brown, and 
then proceed to Africa and attend to the details of the 
transfer of Mendi mission to our society. He was also 
to look after the needs of Sherbro mission, hold the an- 
nual district meeting there, and returning by way of 
Germany, hold the annual district meeting there in the 
spring of 1883, and reach the United States in time to 
attend the annual meeting of the board. This he suc- 
ceeded in accomplishing. 

• This trip to Africa, undertaken but six months after 
he had returned, had more responsibility and peril con- 
nected with it than any of the six previous voyages 
which the secretary had made to that country. He em- 
barked, December 9th, on the "City of Berlin," which 
lost its rudder in a fearful gale, at midnight, on the 11th, 
when about one thousand miles from New York. After 
floating about at the mercy of the waves for forty-eight 
hours, it was overtaken by the "City of Chester," another' 
steamer of the same line, and towed back to New York 
City, reaching that port December 21st. On the 23d he 
again took passage, on the "City of Chester," for Liver- 
pool, and had a good voyage there and on to Africa. 

The first work of the secretary after reaching the mis- 
sion was to visit Good Hope and Avery mission stations, 
the two places then mostly composing Mendi mission, 
and take an inventory of all he found. Good mission 
residences, chapels, and school-houses were at both places. 
At Avery, there was also a saw-mill, a coffee-farm of one 
thousand, five hundred bearing trees, and quite a lot of 
lumber and logs, which with the five rowboats and 



UNITED BRETHREN MISSIONS. 137 

household furniture at both places were considered 
worth two thousand dollars. As this with the Avery 
fund of five thousand dollars would not all be needed 
for the two stations, a new one was commenced at 
Mandoh, which is about thirty-five miles south of Shain- 
gay, and on the coast. 

Two new stations were also opened on the Sherbro 
side, and four new ministers were added to the mission 
district at the annual meeting. Rev. J. A. Evans, who 
had been financial agent at Shaingay during Mr. Gomer's 
absence to the United States, was now put in charge 
of Avery station, an important and responsible place of 
Mendi mission. A small paper had once been printed 
at Good Hope, and some type and material were still 
there which might be utilized. It was resolved at the 
annual meeting to recommence the publication of the 
Early Dawn, provided the one hundred and fifty dollars 
voted by the General Conference for this purpose could 
be secured, with the approval of the board. This was 
accomplished, March 1, 1883, and Rev. D. F. Wilberforce 
was appointed editor. 

Mr. Flickinger, when on his way to Africa, had gone 
to Scotland to confer with' ship-builders, and had also 
seen other parties in England, and received bids from 
three different firms as to what kind of a steamer they 
would furnish for seven thousand dollars. He thought 
it would cost the other thousand dollars to get the 
steamer to Africa. Not being able to procure one which 
was thought would be serviceable, he did not contract 
for the building of the John Brown, and requested the 
New York committee to increase the sum, which it 
generously did, to nine thousand, six hundred dollars. 
Accordingly, on his return trip, after conferring with 
missionaries in Africa, and giving the subject much 



138 HISTORY OF THE 

thought, he contracted with Mr. E. Hayes, of Stony 
Stratford, England, for a steamer sixty feet long and 
twelve feet in the beam, to carry fifteen tons cargo, and 
accommodate six or eight cabin passengers, besides fuel 
to run two days. It was to cost £1,777, and be finished 
by October, 1883. The steamer was an unlucky enter- 
prise, though it finally reached Africa, after encounter- 
ing a fearful gale, which caused its return to Dartmouth, 
England, where it was detained by the Board of Trade 
until May, 1884. There will be reference to this steamer 
again further on in this history. 

At the district meeting held in March, there were 
arrangements made to operate twelve day and Sunday- 
schools, and to preach in one hundred and forty-four 
towns, in connection with Sherbro-Mendi missions. 
The Bomphe mission, which is contiguous to Sher- 
bro mission on the northeast, as is Mendi mission on 
the southeast, and which is under the auspices of the 
Woman's Missionary Association of our church, had at 
this time four schools, and its missionaries preached in 
forty towns. The ministers of their board are members 
of the same district meeting, which at this time had 
sixteen preacherc, and six of them were ordained elders 
in the Church. 

Another important occurrence of the year was the 
connection formed between our board and that of the 
Freedmen's Missions Aid Association, of 18 Adam Street, 
Strand, London, England. When our secretary was in 
New York, en route for England, December, 1882, Dr. 
"White, of New Haven, Connecticut, who had spent some 
time in England under appointment of the American 
Missionary Association, soliciting funds for its work 
among the freedmen in America, and who, while there, 
w T as secretary of the Freedmen's Missions Aid Society, 



UNITED BRETHREN MISSIONS. 139 

gave him a letter of introduction to Rev. J. Gwynne 
Jones, then the secretary of the London association. 
Dr. Strieby, secretary of the American Missionary Asso- 
ciation, gave a similar letter. With these, Mr. Flickin- 
ger visited Mr. Jones and gave him a missionary report 
of 1882, and other documents, and made such statements 
of our work in Africa as he thought wise, and what the 
prospects were. While in Africa he also wrote- Mr. Jones 
respecting it, and on his return prepared a lengthy 
report, in which he brought out fully what wo had in 
Africa, including Mendi mission. The result was, the 
London Association gave us nearly five thousand dol- 
lars the following year, and has since given us consider- 
able sums. This was a memorable year in the way of 
receiving large gifts, of which the reader will learn more 
hereafter. This association, organized to help educate 
the freedmen of the South, has ever since given its 
money to our African mission. 

The secretary's visit to Germany w T as also timely, and 
resulted in good. The work there had progressed well 
in the main. Upon some of the missions marked prog- 
ress had been made, but the civil authorities had in- 
terfered upon others, hindering the work a good deal. 
Discordant elements had also developed among the mis- 
sionaries to an extent which foreboded evil, all of which 
were effectually put out of the way by the secretary's 
visit. Four new members were admitted to the district 
meeting, and thirteen were received into the member- 
ship of the Church during this meeting. Steps were 
also taken at this meeting to build two chapels, and 
to publish a small monthly paper in the interests of our 
cause in Germany, there having been one hundred and 
fifty dollars set apart by the General Conference of 1881 
for this purpose, for the mission district of Germany as 



140 HISTORY OF THE 

well as Africa.^ With additional laborers in Germany at 
the disposal of the board, it felt it ought to provide more 
liberally for the future needs of that country than it had 
been doing, and this was to some extent accomplished. 
Rev. C. Bischoff was continued as presiding elder and 
financial manager of this mission, and not receiving 
missionaries from America to enlarge the work, he pro- 
cured them in Germany. 

The frontier mission work of the Church had in many 
places peculiar hindrances during the year. In the 
North and Northwest, especially in Minnesota and 
Dakota, owing to the unusually cold weather, it was 
impossible to hold meetings part of the winter. In 
new countries, meetings are often held in school-houses 
and private dwellings. One of the presiding elders 
wrote: "In many places the roads were impassable for 
teams for weeks, and railroads were blockaded for days." 
Another wrote : " On account of the excessively cold 
weather and bad roads, I was able to hold but one 
meeting during the month of January." Notwithstand- 
ing various hindering causes, there was some growth in 
these and other mission conferences. In portions of the 
Pacific coast district, the West Kansas, Arkansas Valley, 
Nebraska, Tennessee and North Michigan mission con- 
ferences, some excellent revivals of religion and large 
ingatherings into the Church had taken place. Upon 
some of the frontier missions and mission districts, there 
was very little prosperity, and upon a few there was 
actual retrogression during the year. There were em- 
ployed in this department one hundred and sixty-four 
missionaries, who received two thousand, seven hundred 
and thirty-four members into the Church during this 
very eventful year. 

Upon home missions there were two hundred and 



UNITED BRETHREN MISSIONS. 141 

twenty-three missionaries, who received into the Church 
four thousand, five hundred and forty-three members, 
and did much to enlarge the Sunday-school work and 
make it more efficient, which showed commendable prog- 
ress in this department of Church work. The rapid 
increase of population in America, and great destitution 
of gospel privileges in many places, make it important 
to prosecute home missions vigorously. 

The thirty-first annual meeting of the board was held May 
9, 1884, in Germantown, Ohio. The year had been an 
exceeding!) 5 eventful one, and the work done of a pro- 
gressive character, yet it was disappointing because the 
debt of the society was increased instead of diminished. 
This was owing largely to the unfortunate disaster which 
befell the steamer John Brown, which cost several thou- 
sand dollars, and our failure to receive as much money 
from England as was expected. The treasurer of the 
society, Rev. J. K. Billheimer, had gone to England in 
September, 1883, to see that the John Brown was built 
according to contract and sent to Africa in time, and to 
assist the secretary of the Freedmen's Missions Aid So- 
ciety of London to get money for our treasury. The 
steamer was not finished in the time specified, and 
when finished some changes had to be made, so that it 
was prevented from sailing for Africa for nearly a month 
later than was expected. At last the John Brown, com- 
manded by William Brown, left London for Sierra 
Leone. The second day out a severe gale was encoun- 
tered, which caused many larger steamers to put back to 
port, and which so disabled the machinery of the John 
Brown, that it had to be towed to Dartmouth by a pilot 
boat. Being so small a steamer, and the season of rough 
seas being at hand, the Board of Trade refused to allow it 
to make a second venture before May, 1884. The cost of 



142 HISTORY OF THE 

towing it into port, repairing machinery, and keeping it 
at anchor from November until May, and finally getting 
it to Africa, was enormous, most of which expense would 
have been saved had the steamer started on its voyage 
two weeks earlier. This caused great disappointment 
in Africa, and also financial loss. Messrs. Flickinger 
and Gomer had conferred with the colonial authorities 
of Sierra Leone in regard to carrying the mails from 
Freetown to Bonthe — just the route the John Brown was 
to sail — and prospects were good to have obtained the 
contract of carrying the mails between these two points, 
at the rate of two hundred and forty dollars per month, 
had the steamer reached Africa in November, 1883, in- 
stead of May, 1884. She did make weekly trips between 
these two places, which are one hundred and twenty 
miles apart, and soon achieved a reputation for making 
her time more regularly than any similar craft which 
came to Freetown harbor. Truly, for the convenience 
of our missionaries, and for quick and safe transit of 
goods, the John Brown met a real want. Not getting the 
mails to carry, and being compelled to employ cheap 
men to run her, who neglected caring for her machinery, 
she soon became useless, and was sold for a small sum 
after being a source of annoyance and loss to the mis- 
sionary society. 

One fact in connection with this should be noted, viz. : 
the coalition of Mendi with Sherbro mission, building 
and sending the John Broicn to Africa, led our society to 
send, in October, 1883, Rev. and Mrs. J. M. Lesher, and 
Mr. and Mrs. W. S. Sage to that country, and to the open- 
ing of new mission stations, and was the beginning of a 
general awakening and ingathering of souls into the 
mission churches. The year 1884 brought into the 
Church in Africa one thousand and twelve members, 



UNITED BRETHREN MISSIONS. 143 

while in all the twenty-eight years previous, there had 
been only five hundred and fourteen received. This 
looks as though God's set time had come to favor that 
country ; and notwithstanding financial disaster and 
great discouragements were connected with some feat- 
ures of that work, glorious results followed. A part of 
the secretary's report to the board at this meeting, in 
view of the results of the year 1885, when over eleven 
hundred were received, and of the year 1886, when over 
thirteen hundred more united with the Church, is in- 
serted here to show that some things may be forecast 
pretty correctly : 

" The reverses of the last year caused me to carefully 
examine all the circumstances, to see whether it was not 
a blunder for us to undertake so great a work as we now 
have in Africa. The more carefully this question is ex- 
amined, the more fully will it appear that in this we 
were providentially led, and that God's blessing has 
manifestly rested upon our efforts to reinforce that field 
with efficient laborers, who in connection with those 
who were previously there, are having very encour- 
aging success. It is true of Africa that every prospect 
pleases, but our treasury is empty. Everything Con- 
nected with the late great enlargement of our work in 
that country, indicates that the same Providence which 
led us so unexpectedly into the responsible position we 
now occupy as a board of missions, will guide us to a 
glorious victory, and an honorable end, if we are faith- 
ful. As I stated to the General Conference fifteen years 
ago, in reference to mission work in Africa, so I say now, 
I cannot but believe that a glorious harvest of souls will 
yet be gathered among that people, and that before long, 
by the church which does faithful work in that dark 
land. The magnitude of the work which our heavenly 



144 HISTORY OF THE 

Father has so evidently placed injDur hands may well 
cause us to falter, considering the great liability there is 
in our being misunderstood, and even censured, in case 
reverses should come, unless we are able to walk by faith 
and not by sight." 

The year's work done in Germany was of an encour- 
aging character. Owing to the fact that Rev. C. Bischoff, 
who had been presiding elder of the work ever since its 
organization into a district, and general superintendent 
of it from its commencement, desired to retire from the 
work, the executive committee had appointed Rev. J. 
Sick to serve in said capacity for three years. Mr. Sick 
and family, consisting of his wife and one child, sailed 
the day before the board met, and reached the mission 
the last of May, 1884. The secretary had pleaded for an 
average of ten cents to the member for the growing 
work in Africa above what came to the society from 
the American Missionary Association, and the Freed- 
men's Missions Aid Society and now he modestly asks 
that two cents to the member be given to Germany in 
view of its success and increased necessities, stating at 
the close of his plea that with the debt against the 
society the appropriations to them ought not be more 
than the year previous. 

The secretary also said: "There are some questions 
relating to our frontier mission fields which the board 
and the next General Conference ought to consider and 
settle. There are several mission conferences that are 
eking out a miserable existence which ought never to 
have been more than mission districts. Whether this 
board ought to take the responsibility now of reducing 
them to what they should have been made by the Gen- 
eral Conference is a question. That there ought to be a 
thorough reconstruction of our frontier and home mis- 



UNITED BRETHREN MISSIONS. 145 

sions is a fact which the General Conference ought to 
provide for at its next session, or which this board ought 
to inaugurate now. There is one important reform that 
the missionary board and the bishops should bring about 
at once, at least heroically grapple with; namely, cease to 
employ incompetent men as missionaries. Better send 
fewer men into the field with an adequate support. Em- 
ploying men who not infrequently have little else to rec- 
ommend them, except that they offer to work cheap, 
thus necessitating the diminishing of appropriations to 
good men, is a mistaken policy. Better have half the 
number of efficient men, and pay them enough to live 
comfortably, than to pursue such a course. This board 
and our bishops should wage a fierce war against this 
evil, and stand by their guns until it is effectually extir- 
pated." 

Ontario Conference had made about the usual prog- 
ress, building two chapels, and in other ways strength- 
ening the places held, but not increasing its membership 
much. North Michigan continued to advance rapidly in 
enlarging its territory, increasing its membership, build- 
ing new houses of worship, and organizing new Sunday- 
schools. Fox River scarcely held its own, except in the 
town of Cascade, which place was favored with a season 
of revival, which resulted in the conversion of many 
sinners and the upbuilding of the church at that place. 
In Minnesota substantial progress was made in church- 
building and increasing the membership of the church. 
The cold winter caused many of our people to leave the 
State for warmer places. Dakota suffered for want of 
laborers, which, with the severity of the winter and want 
of houses in which to hold our meetings, militated much 
against our success. The work of the society here might 
have been greatly advanced had it kept a sufficient force 



146 HISTORY OF THE 

in the field to occupy all the places open to its mission- 
aries. AValla Walla had one of the most successful years 
in its entire history. With the increase of membership, 
organized churches, and Sunday-schools, and with Wash- 
ington Seminary, at Huntsville, which was doing good 
work, our prospects in every way were brightening. Ore- 
gon Mission Conference had some very unfortunate in- 
cidents to occur during the year. Certain, members of 
this conference seemed to think it was their duty to find 
fault with the board and the last General Conference. 
They spent more time in finding fault than in sacrific- 
ing for Christ's sake and exerting themselves to build up 
the Church. Revivals of religion at Philomath, the site 
of our college in Oregon, and a few other places, were 
encouraging. Rev. G. Sickafoose. who was elected a 
member of the board in 1881, had been sent to Portland 
as a missionary, it being embraced in this conference. 
His wife was appointed a missionary to the Chinese of 
that city by the Woman's Missionary Association of our 
church. They had reached that city in July, 1883. The 
secretary said in his report : "They have been quite suc- 
cessful in their work among Chinese, but less so in the 
other mission there. Mr. Sickafoose has labored at a 
great disadvantage, owing to the want of a proper place 
in which to hold meetings, and then his relation to the 
Chinese work prejudiced many people against him. Per- 
sonally, I am glad that we have indirectly, at least, done 
something toward the opening of a mission among the 
Chinese of the Pacific coast, and may heaven's blessing 
ever rest upon that well-begun work and give it contin- 
ued success." 

In California there was steady and encouraging, though 
not rapid, growth during the year. The work being scat- 
tered, required the missionaries to travel a great deal, 



UNITED BRETHREN MISSIONS. 147 

which cost time and money. The seminary at Wood- 
bridge, California, had become San Joaquin Valley Col- 
lege, and had been built up a good deal during the year 
which had just closed. For the success of this institu- 
tion our missionaries had labored zealously and success- 
fully. This subject was receiving considerable atten- 
tion in the Pacific coast district, which, with but two 
thousand one hundred and sixteen members of the 
Church, and not to exceed thirty itinerant preachers, 
had established two colleges and one seminary, and had 
very little debt. 

Elkhorn Mission Conference, in Western Nebraska, had 
been organized, and at its annual session, in July, 1883, 
started with six missions, which were increased to twelve 
fields of labor, and had increased its membership over 
half since the beginning of the year, and was prospering 
generally. 

West Nebraska Conference was reported by one of its 
presiding elders thus : " West Nebraska is growing and 
the future is hopeful. Many things will have to be over- 
come. One perplexing thing is the support of our min- 
isters The western part of our territor}^ is too dry for 
any certainty of crops, yet the people go there and need 
the bread of life, and we must strive to give it to them." 
This striving to reach points far removed from the main 
portion of a mission has not infrequently caused a good 
missionary to scatter his work over so much territory 
that he amounted to but little anywhere. East Ne- 
braska Conference continued, as it had generally done 
from its organization, to prosper during this year, and 
was ready to take its place among the self-supporting 
conferences and contribute money for other fields rather 
than receive for its support from the missionary treas- 
ury. No part of the frontier work Lad such uniform 



148 HISTORY OF THE 

success as this, and nowhere was more done for the 
amount of money expended. 

West Kansas Conference had a good year and the out 
look for the future was hopeful. Gould College, which 
had been commenced a few years before within its 
bounds, had succeeded well, and the good beginning 
which it and the conference had made was encouraging. 
The country was filling up with enterprising people, 
which was an additional hopeful feature of this field of 
labor. 

Arkansas Valley Conference had held two sessions 
during the year, changing from fall to spring. This is 
mainly in the southern portion of Kansas, and has 
had a good degree of prosperity from its organization. 
During the year over four hundred had been added to 
the membership of the Church, which was rapid growth 
for a young conference. 

Southwest Missouri had but moderate success. The 
scarcity of laborers, and neglecting to follow up good 
openings made by revivals of religion, made the success 
here less than it should have been. 

Owing to the illness of some of the missionaries, and 
the inefficiency of others, the progress in Southern Illi- 
nois was not satisfactory. Here, as was the case in a few 
other places, the people had no spirit of liberality. They 
paid scarcely anything for the support of the gospel in 
their midst, and but little good was done. 

Tennessee Mission Conference had a prosperous year. 
A good house of worship had been built near Knoxville, 
where there was a strong society, and similar organiza- 
tions were effected and houses built in other portions of 
the conference district. Edwards' Academy, at White 
Pine, had also a prosperous year. This institution of 
learning had been a hindrance rather than a help to 



UNITED BRETHREN MISSIONS 149 

our work in Tennessee, owing to its financial difficulties, 
which, as a matter of course, embarrassed the conference 
to which it belonged. Prospects are now good, although 
the lack of a spirit of liberality in the support of church 
institutions, so common in our Southern mission fields, 
is a drawback among the people here, also. 

Kentucky mission district had about the usual success 
in making converts and accessions to the Church, but 
continued to give so little to the support of those labor- 
ing among them that the secretary, in his report, said : 
"Our heathen converts in Africa pay more money than 
the members in Kentucky. The ministers seem to be 
good men, and they preach well enough, but fail to reach 
the pockets of the people. They pay so little as to cause 
doubts of the genuineness of their conversion." 

Colorado mission district, especially the two churches 
in Denver, had a good year, and the outlook was becom- 
ing brighter than it had been. Some peculiar difficulties 
had existed here for years, and the deleterious effects of 
these were still seen and felt, but nevertheless there was 
successful work done in this field. 

The German mission,in Toledo, Ohio, did well during 
the year. The most hopeful feature of this charge was 
that the Sunday-school connected with it promised in 
the near future to give the church an increase of mem- 
bers. The church and parsonage being located in a 
dense German population, and being paid for, was also a 
hopeful feature. The Philadelphia German missions, 
one located on Fourth Street and the other at Port 
Richmond, had little success, and, though possessing 
interesting Sunday-schools, the outlook was not very 
promising. 

Home missions, though not so generally prosperous 
during the year as in some preceding years, had a 



1-50 HISTORY OF THE 

number of the most extensive revivals that ever occurred 
in our midst, which brought many into the Church. 

In January of this year, a four page tract which pre- 
sented the hopeful features of our mission work, written 
by the secretary, and authorized by the executive com- 
mittee, was sent to the preachers for free distribution. 
Xo less than one hundred and two thousand copies of 
this tract were sent out. Rev. J. Kemp, who had been 
treasurer of the society for twelve years, and a member 
of the board from its organization, died during the year. 
The secretary said of him : " Amidst all the discourage- 
ments and trials growing out of a lack of funds, Mr. 
Kemp never wearied, nor thought any privation too 
great which was necessary to sustain our cause. He was 
always hopeful and helpful, and we will greatly miss 
him in our councils." 

The following action of the board should also have a 
place in this connection : "Resolved, That we have heard 
with profound sorrow of the death of David Louding, 
one of the African boys the Church has been educating 
for missionary work in his native country; and while 
this dispensation of Providence is dark and inexplicable, 
and defeats many of our highest expectations, we bow 
with submission to the stroke, praying that it may be 
overruled for good to the Church in this country and to 
the poor and degraded in Africa."' It was on Saturday, 
the 10th of May, when this sad news was received by 
telephone. The following Monday most of the members 
of the board went to Dayton to attend the funeral of 
David. This boy was born in Xovember, 1866, in a 
native African village, called Mosam, twenty miles south 
of Shaingay, the principal mission station of Sherbro 
mission. When about five years old he became a mis- 
sion boy at Shaingay. Though his training up to that 



UNITED BRETHREN MISSIONS. 151 

time was heathen, and he possessed all the vices and 
superstitions of that country, yet it is true of him that 
he arose rapidly to intellectual and moral greatness, 
and at less than eighteen years of age died a triumphant 
Christian death. He accompanied Mr. Flickinger from 
Africa to the United States in the spring of 1880, and 
during the four years he was in America he stood high 
as a Christian and a scholar, as he had for some } r ears in 
Africa. His funeral was one of the largest and saddest 
that ever occurred in Dayton, Ohio. Professor John 
Hancock, superintendent of the public schools of Day- 
ton, one of the speakers of the occasion, said of him : 
"He maintained his place in the High School in the first 
division, and was one of the best scholars. I seldom 
knew a brighter intellect." Others spoke of him in 
equal terms of praise on that occasion. He was indeed 
a great and good boy and young man. His life and 
death, and the lives and deaths of others in Africa who 
were led to Christ through the labors of our missionaries, 
show that it pays to work among that people. John 
Wesley said of his followers that they died well ; and so 
it may be said of quite a number of our converts in 
Africa, some young, some old, who showed in death that 
they had been with Christ and learned of him. What- 
ever may be said of their ignorance and infirmities, the 
proof is clear that they exercised an intelligent faith in 
Christ in the last moments of life, and that there is good 
reason to believe they were prepared to dwell with the 
saints in light, through the atoning merits of the Lord 
Jesus Christ. That the gospel "is the power of God 
unto salvation to every one that believeth," is a fact 
well attested in Africa and elsewhere. 

The thirty-second annual session of the board met in Fosto- 
ria, Ohio, May 13, 1885, where the General Conference con- 



152 HISTORY OF THE 

vened two days later. Owing to the difficulties in Oregon, 
referred to in the account given of last year's work, at 
the urgent request of Bishop Castle and the Board of 
Missions, in 1884, the secretary visited the Pacific coast 
district. He started two weeks after the former meeting 
and met Bishop Castle in Washington Territory, where 
they were busy for a few weeks attending quarterly and 
dedication meetings, and then the Walla Walla Mission 
Conference, which convened in Hunts ville the following 
month. During the session of this conference the ques- 
tion was under discussion what to do with our church 
property in Walla Walla City. This consisted of a lot, 
with a house of worship and a parsonage, worth $3,500. 
Our work had failed in that city, and some thought it 
wise to sell this property; others thought it would be 
best to lease it, as the city was a prominent place and 
growing. To sell was the most popular view, especially 
as a few other places, greatly needing money to pay 
church debts, might thus be helped. The secretary, who 
was much interested in the Chinese work, after learning 
there were quite a number of Chinese in that city, and 
nothing done for their Christianization, proposed that it 
be used for a Chinese school, to which the conference 
agreed. With Bishop Castle's help, a subscription of five 
hundred dollars was secured the last evening of the con- 
ference to start said school, and a committee appointed to 
superintend the work. The school was opened the fol- 
lowing November, and it has prospered well ever since, 
though greatly straitened for means a number of times. 
The bishop and secretary next went to Oregon, and 
visited the Chinese school in Portland, where Rev. Gr. 
Sickafoose and wife were doing a good work among 
the Chinese. The Oregon Conference met that time in 
Philomath, the site of the college controlled by the con- 



UNITED BRETHREN MISSIONS. 153 

ference, and the home of Bishop Castle. The course of 
a few of the missionaries in their disagreement and dis- 
approval of some things done by the board made it diffi- 
cult for their bishop to administer the laws of the Church 
in some instances and greatly retarded the cause. A dif- 
ference of opinion upon the subject of holiness and re- 
specting secret societies, and the want of confidence in 
each other, produced a spirit of alienation among the 
members of this conference. One of the principal ob- 
jects of the secretary's visit to the coast was to bring 
about more harmony between the brethren of Oregon 
Conference and their bishop, and this end was largely 
secured. New issues were afterward developed which 
prevented a few of them from fully harmonizing, but 
not from Avorking together as true yoke-fellows. By 
the efficient aid of Bishop Castle, the secretary received 
in collections taken for the African mission a sum 
which more than paid the expenses of his entire trip. 
From Oregon he went to California and spent about 
two weeks, and he also staid several days in Colorado, 
assisting the missionaries in these places, and in both 
of them the work progressed quite well. The year's 
work had been encouraging taken as a whole in the 
four conferences considered. There were in all of them 
some revivals which resulted in many conversions and 
accessions to the Church, but still there were discourag- 
ing features in Oregon and Colorado. 

There was but little progress made in Southern Illi- 
nois, Fox River, and Dakota conferences during the 
year. In Tennessee, Southwest Missouri, Elkhorn, West 
Nebraska, Minnesota, and Ontario conferences there 
was moderate prosperity. In Arkansas Valley, West 
Kansas, East Nebraska, and Saginaw the growth was 
rapid, though the last-named had some adverse winds 



154 HISTORY OF THE 

to blow upon it. The Kentucky mission, the Phila- 
delphia, Pennsylvania, and Toledo, Ohio, missions made 
but little visible progress, though in Toledo the prospects 
were brightening continually. Home missions received 
the usual attention during the last year, as formerly, and 
with gratifying results. The average results were never 
better. The secretary raised the question as to whether 
there ought not be a branch board in each self-support- 
ing conference to superintend home missions within its 
bounds, saying if such should be provided, the branch 
secretary and branch treasurer should be members of it. 

About the 1st of October, 1884, the secretary went to 
England, where he spent two months working in con- 
nection with the London society in behalf of Africa. 
He sailed for that country in December, reaching the 
mission the first week of January, 1885, where he re- 
mained until the following spring, leaving Africa barely 
in time to reach the General Conference. In his absence 
the treasurer was acting secretary, and prepared and read 
the annual report at this meeting. What he had to say 
respecting the foreign department is given here in full: 

"It would be satisfactory to know the number of con- 
versions and accessions in Germany the past year. The 
presiding elder has kept us well informed of the progress 
of the work, but we are not in possession of the aggre- 
gates. We know enough, however, to be much encour- 
aged with the work in Germany. While the poor have 
the gospel preached to them, the wealthier and more in- 
fluential are also hearing the word and accepting the 
Savior, being convinced that while the state fosters and 
churches conserve the highest good of the citizen as such, 
it does not and cannot save the people from their sins. 
If the blind lead the blind, both are liable to fall into 
the ditch. The cry from Germany for more money has 



UNITED BRETHREN MISSIONS. 155 

been loud and continuous. With our present resources 
we cannot enlarge the work." 

Kespecting the Sherbro-Mendi mission in Africa, he 
said: "But few if any of our home charges are able to 
report so large an increase as this mission. While some 
may count thirty and some fifty-fold. Sherbro mission 
has had nearly two hundred per cent increase. Accord- 
ing to the directions of the board at its last annual meet- 
ing, the corresponding secretary went to England, where 
he did much to further our interests by public meetings 
and private solicitation. He found and left the Freed- 
men's Missions Aid Society in hearty accord with us in 
our work on the west coast. Some immediate fruits 
were the result of his labors, and the foundation al- 
ready laid was strengthened for future aid from that 
source. We owe a debt of gratitude to this society for 
what it has done, and have reason to believe it will 
continue to favor us. The enlargement of Sherbro mis- 
sion, which was based on expectations that have not 
been fully realized, has made the work more expensive 
to the society than during any previous year of its his- 
tory. The presence of our secretary was never more 
needed on the field than during the past year. Brother 
Gomer was being borne on the tidal wave of a great work 
with such force and rapidity as gave him no time to look 
back. The mighty ship was under full sail. It is easy 
to make sail with a gentle breeze — not so easy to take it 
in in a storm. The secretary helped him to take in and 
furl all the royal and top sails and the flying jib, thus 
easing the ship down to a speed more in conformity to 
the idea of the United Brethren Church. Our motto for 
this fiscal year is : ' Go slow ; keep in the edge of the 
trade winds.' If some heathen craft with the distress 
signal hails you for a cup of water, or to be taken on 



156 HISTORY OF THE 

board, and thus be rescued from death, answer back: 
'Our supply of water is limited, and we are forbidden 
to take any more on board.' Sail on, good ship, and let 
them perish. Colloquy on the heathen craft : ' We perish 
for water! Why is their supply limited? They have 
plenty of vessels, and can get more (missionaries) ; why 
are they not filled? Who sent the ship here?' 'The 
Christian people of America.' 'But why not fill their 
vessels?' 'Because some did not want to spare the 
water, and others think the barrels leak and the water 
is wasted.' 'But if we could only have the leakage, we 
would not die,' like the woman who would be contented 
with the crumbs that fell from the master's table. The 
general order which was sent all along the line is : ' Re- 
trench ; go no further ; reduce your working force ; do 
less work.' This is the policy the committee and secre- 
tary are forced to adopt; and this is the policy which 
will govern the Church until more money is placed at 
the command - of the board. The management of our 
foreign work has been criticised. Why? Because of 
our heavy expenditures. What is missionary money 
for ? Is it to keep in some safe place ? You must get 
all the money you can, but you must not employ any 
one to administer it, and you must not send too much 
of it to the missionaries. Now, if any man can prove 
that more could have been accomplished with less ex- 
penditure, he will make a point. Let us compare figures. 
The following cost of converts in heathen lands by differ- 
ent boards, given in the Foreign Missionary, does not in- 
clude our board, but we will include it : In the Congre- 
gational foreign missions there were added during the 
year 2,371 members (converts), at a cost of $265,647.94, 
or $248.14 per member; the Christian Church received 
into her communion, from heathen converts, 365, at a 



UNITED BRETHREN MISSIONS. 157 

cost of $72.88 per member; the Episcopalian missions 
received 228, at a cost of $592.03 per member ; the Meth- 
odist foreign missions received 2,781, at a cost of $234.91 
per member ; and the Baptist Church received on its for- 
eign missions 11,891, at a cost of $37.05 per member. But 
let us enlarge this price-list. So far as the Baptist mis- 
sion is concerned, the secretary of the Presbyterian board 
justly finds fault with the methods by which they arrive 
at those figures. The figures given by the other boards 
represent the number gathered in from among the hea- 
then, but the Baptists include all in foreign lands. About 
7,000 Baptist converts were made in Sweden and Ger- 
many, while 4,679 converts were made from among the 
heathen at a cost of $67 per member, which is still the 
lowest by $5.88 per member, while we report for Sherbro 
1,013 at a cost of $23.68 per member. This is one of the 
most encouraging facts that was ever recorded on the 
pages of the United Brethren missionary history. There 
is a time to sow, and there is a time to reap. We have had 
our seed-time ; now the harvest moon is full, the wheat is 
ripe for the harvest. Where are the reapers that garner 
in the sheaves ? Come with your sickles, ye sons of men, 
and gather together the golden grain." 

The secretary in his report to the General Conference, 
which met two days later, said : " The last four years 
have been the most remarkable in all our history. Truly 
God has led us in ways we knew not, and which have 
been extraordinary. Unlooked for and radical changes 
took place in Africa, and in some respects in Germany, 
which gave us much to think of and to do. Of the three 
visits made to Africa by myself, two of them were occa- 
sioned by the transfer of Mendi mission to us for a term 
of five years, half of which time has expired. As you 
are aware, we commenced the term with a debt, which 



158 HISTORY OF THE 

we hoped to pay, and did pay in part, when things took 
a sudden turn against us; and despite our best efforts 
the debt grew larger instead of smaller, so that now we 
are deeper in debt than ever before. Your officers, the 
executive committee, and board of managers struggled 
heroically to turn the tide, but failed to do it. The dis- 
aster which befell the steamer John Broivn cost us large 
sums of money, and caused us to send more laborers to 
Africa than we should have done. We also failed to 
receive as much money from England as we and our 
friends there hoped we would, owing to the hard times 
which prevailed there during the last two years. Over 
six thousand dollars have been paid to us in London, 
however, which justifies our co-operation with the Freed- 
men's Missions Aid Society. It is worthy of note that 
God has, in a marked manner, overruled for the promo- 
tion of his cause in Africa these blunders and mistakes, 
as they seem to have been. The work has been rapidly 
and advantageously enlarged, which could not have been 
but for the sending of the steamer John Brown, and the 
excellent services of the four missionaries sent out last 
year. The valuable buildings erected, with the fact that 
over one thousand were added to the Church during the 
year 1884, go very far to apologize for the mistakes made, 
if they were such. It looks very much as though the 
Lord had managed some of the things charged up to 
Mr. Gomer, the officers of the missionary society, and 
the executive committee. At all events, he has greatly 
blessed these things in rapidly building up his cause 
and saving many precious souls in degraded Africa. 
While there last winter I examined into the financial 
and moral standing and worth of the mission more care- 
fully than I ever did before, and with results far more 
favorable than I believed possible. In our distress for 



UNITED BRETHREN MISSIONS. 159 

money we seriously considered the question of selling- 
out in part or in whole. This led to the discovery that 
we were worth from twenty-five to thirty thousand dol- 
lars, and that the cash could be realized upon one half of 
this at any time, and we believe upon it all in the near 
future. The cash assets consist in produce and goods in 
mission stores, nearly one dozen rowboats and canoes, 
and mission wharf and warehouse, with privilege to do 
business upon the mission premises, on condition that if 
we sell out we are not to engage in business. The bal- 
ance of our assets consists in lands, houses, shops, and 
farms, which are valuable, and especially for mission 
purposes. 

" The more valuable assets of the mission are the relig- 
ious and moral influences in operation, producing results 
exceedingly gratifying. I tried to invoice the gospel seed 
sown in the two hundred and ninety-four towns into 
which our missionaries go. There are five hundred chil- 
dren in our day and Sunday-schools, upon most of whose 
young hearts the law of God has been so engraved as to 
lead them to Christ. I also took account of the one 
thousand, five hundred and twenty-six members we 
have there, the large majority of whom were, a few years 
ago, as degraded heathen as ever lived. Most of them 
are now striving earnestly to follow Christ. I also made 
note of the sixty raw heathen who walked several 
miles, near the hour of midnight, and awoke one of our 
missionaries to have him tell them of Christ. The mis- 
sionary had preached in the evening to about thirty 
persons, it being the first time he was there. Two men 
were there from a neighboring town, who went home 
after meeting and told what they had heard, which so 
interested the people that sixty of them came to where 
the missionary was, and waked him up, saying they 



160 HISTORY OF THE 

feared that he would be gone before they could get there 
in the morning, and so they came now to hear him 
speak that same God word to them that he had spoken a 
few hours before. As a matter of course, he dressed 
himself j got a light and his Bible, and preached, to the 
great delight of the people and joy of his own heart, for 
the Master was there. 

" I next took stock of the scores of souls safely landed 
in heaven. A few now come to mind : Quiah Mammie, 
the old slave-woman whom Mr. Gomer and myself saw 
dying on a grass mat about half as long as her body, on 
the ground, with some dirty rags for a pillow ; the one- 
eyed old woman whom we saw lying on the sunny side of 
a large tree to counteract the chill of death, with a coarse 
coffee-bag around her body as her only covering; our 
Mohammedan friend, who was poisoned, and who suf- 
fered much and long because he renounced Mohamme- 
danism and became a Christian, and who died trusting 
Christ to the last moment of life; John Williams, one 
of our mission boys, who did good service for four years 
as interpreter, and who sent for the mission children one 
evening to come and sing, telling them as soon as they ar- 
rived that he would go to be with Jesus that night, and 
then named the pieces he wished them to sing, but died 
before the musical programme which he had arranged 
was exhausted. The value of the souls saved in heaven, 
or even of those on earth saved from the terrible degra- 
dation of African heathenism, cannot be represented by 
figures, such as appear on ordinary balance-sheets. I am 
quite certain that the assets of Sherbro mission far ex- 
ceed its liabilities. 

" To put the mission on a less expensive basis without 
causing a retrograde movement, or injuring our good 
name and credit in that country, was a difficult work ; 



UNITED BRETHREN MISSIONS. 161 

but God helped us to do it successfully. As soon as I 
landed there the last time, word was circulated that our 
mission was bankrupt, and I had come out to close up 
affairs. By putting a few articles in the Early Dawn, 
explaining affairs, and stating that we soon expected to 
start a training-school, the mission has as much credit 
and popularity as it ever had, and the arrangement to 
give each station so much and no more, will, with God's 
blessing, enable us to hold the ground, and go forward 
slowly at least." 

Kespecting the publication of the papers in connection 
with the missions in Africa and Germany, the secretary's 
report contained the following : " The Early Dawn print- 
ing office, with the hundred and fifty dollars paid, as you 
directed four years ago, by the agent of the printing 
establishment, has met all expenses. The paper has a 
circulation of about two hundred, and with the job work 
done, meets expenses of publication, and is rendering 
valuable service. All in all, the outlook is good for the 
future in that dark land, if we can give our work reason- 
able support there. The one hundred and fifty dollars 
paid to Germany, also by the agent of the printing 
establishment, according to your order four years ago, 
enabled the brethren there to commence the publication 
of the Heilisbote, which has been a success, and a great 
help to our cause in Germany. It has a circulation of 
seven hundred, and is paying all expenses of publica- 
tion. Before passing from this field of labor, permit me 
to call to your minds the fact that it becomes more 
and more apparent, as the years come and go, that we 
are operating in such foreign fields as we are adapted to 
cultivate, and that it was wisely ordered by Providence 
that we entered the ones we have. Desirable as it would 
be to have other foreign fields, we had better, for the 



162 HISTORY 'OF THE 

present, push vigorously the well-begun work we have 
in Africa and Germany, and not attempt others until 
our financial resources are greatly increased."' 

The following is also from the secretary's report to the 
General Conference: "The Missionary Visitor ought to 
be conducted in the future as in the past, with this 
single exception, namely, one half of the profits should 
go into the missionary treasury. Had the General Con- 
ference so ordered four years ago, our frontier missiona- 
ries could have had more money by at least one thousand 
dollars annually, which they ought to have received. 
Since I am the only editor the Visitor has ever had in 
the twenty years it has been published, and have often 
worked hard to make it a success when rest would have 
been most desirable, and since I am pleading for the half 
of its net profits to go toward increasing the support of 
our poorly-paid, hard-worked, and deserving missiona- 
ries, rather than elsewhere, I surely ought not be blamed 
for uttering my honest convictions. Then, too, there 
are others who think much as I do upon this same 
question/' 

The following statement respecting church-erection is 
also from the same report: "It was my purpose, until 
quite lately, to recommend some radical changes in the 
constitution of this society, looking toward the forma- 
tion of a separate board, with the necessary officers to 
manage this important interest of the Church. The 
relation of church-erection to missions is such as to make 
it appropriate for one board to control both, but it will 
not likely be made as prosperous this way as if there 
were a secretary to especially look after church-erection, 
who shall devote his entire time to its interests. In 
view, however, of the many church enterprises greatly 
needing money at present, this had better be contim 



UNITED BRETHREN MISSIONS. 163 

ued for the next four years as it has been in the past. 
With the assessment of an amount to be secured by the 
itinerants, continued as it ought to be, and a general 
agent who shall work up large sums for church-erection 
and missions, as already recommended in this report, 
church-erection may safely be left with the Board of 
Missions and its officers for another term. Assessing the 
conferences for church-erection during the last four years, 
with what money came to us from other sources, we were 
able to aid thirty-eight societies in building houses of 
worship during the term. In all, since the organization 
of this society, ninety-one houses of worship have been 
erected by the help we gave them. Though this is less 
than half which should have been helped, it shows that 
great good has been accomplished by comparatively little 
effort and a small amount of money." As the last year 
was the most eventful of any in the history of the society, 
and surpassed all others in results, much space and large 
quotations from officers' reports are given, so as to bring 
out all the important facts connected with it. 

The amounts paid during the four years, ending May, 
1885, are as follows : 

African Mission $ 60,185 77 

Arkansas Valley Conference 2,140 76 

California 2,914 91 

Colorado 2,658 63 

South Missouri 1,260 35 

East German 1,736 90 

Elkhorn and Dakota 3,077 06 

Fox River Conference 1,392 44 

Germany District 9,506 77 

Kentucky , 514 57 

Minnesota 2,332 45 

East Nebraska 1,628 13 

Neosho { Osage) 354 59 

North Michigan 2,522 15 



164 HISTORY OF THE 

Ontario 959 25 

Ohio German (Toledo Mission^ 1,039 50 

Oregon 2,539 90 

Southern Illinois 1,712 12 

Tennessee , 2,821 78 

Virginia (Freed men) .,.. 389 33 

Walla Walla Conference and Cmnese Mission 3,499 79 

West Kansas ..... 3,821 25 

West Nebraska 2,857 61 

Total 9111,896 01 

The salary paid by these fields to their missionaries in 
addition to the above sums from the missionary treasury 
was 877,279.42. Home missions received from branch 
treasurers and gave to the support of those who served 
them in the four years $256,418.34, making a grand total 
for home, frontier, and foreign missions, of $446,093.74. 



UNITED BRETHREN MISSIONS. 165 



CHAPTER XVI. 

From 1885 to 1889. 

New secretary and treasurer — Foreign bishops' district— Reduced ap- 
propriations — Changes in Africa and Germany — The work continues 
to prosper in Africa — Rufus Clark and Wife Theological Training- 
School — Desolating war in Africa — Rapid increase of members — 
Success in paying missionary debt — Prosperity in all departments. 

The thirty-third annual session of the board met in Roan- 
oke, Indiana, May 14, 1886. The General Conference of 
1885, believing that the magnitude of the work across 
the Atlantic Ocean, including Africa, Germany, and En- 
gland, the last as a place to get money, required the 
whole time of one man in the capacity of general super- 
intendent, and therefore made a foreign missionary dis- 
trict, and elected D. K. Flickinger to said office. Dr. 
Warner was chosen to take his place as corresponding 
secretary. Rev. Wm. McKee was elected treasurer, as 
the successor of Rev. J. K. Billheimer. Mr. McKee had 
been the treasurer before, from 1865 to 1873, and had, 
therefore, valuable experience in the work to which he 
was again called. The same president was continued, 
but two other men were elected as directors of the board, 
it retaining ail who were members of it before, except 
these. This board was especially charged with the work 
of liquidating the debt of the society, and entered upon 
this duty with enthusiasm. The first thing to be done, 
and which the former board and officers had labored 
earnestly with, was to bring the society's expenditures 
within the limits of its receipts. To show that under 
the circumstances this was not so easily done, I give the 



166 HISTORY OF THE 

action of the board at this meeting, which was also its 
action one year later, with the change that the sum to 
be raised be increased from fifty to sixty thousand dol- 
lars, and that four energetic, experienced agents be ap- 
pointed, acting under the direction of the board, to raise 
said sum in one year. The report, as adopted, is as fol- 
lows : 

"Your committee on finance, after having carefully 
considered the matter of the indebtedness of the mis- 
sionary society, do respectfully recommend the follow- 
ing : Notwithstanding all the care we have bestowed 
upon the matter of appropriations, the expenses of our 
society have exceeded the amount of money received 
into our treasury, thereby causing a considerable increase 
in our. indebtedness. This result we greatly deplore, but 
it has been simply out of our power to prevent it, with- 
out suspending altogether some of our missions upon 
which we have already expended much money, and 
greatly reducing appropriations to others. This we felt 
unwilling to do unless it became a positive necessity. 
This necessity we feel is now upon us, and we have been 
compelled to adopt a system of retrenchment and. cur- 
tailment which will, no doubt, be seriously felt by our 
faithful missionaries, but we hope they will acquiesce 
in the necessity. 

" In order to meet the reduced appropriations of the 
coming year as well as liquidate our indebtedness, we 
can only appeal to our people — the whole of our people 
throughout the entire Church — to come to our relief. 
Let us bear in mind that for all the money expended 
God has graciously given us many souls. Let ali ? then, 
give to the extent of their ability, and all our preachers 
especially see to it that the claims of our society are 
properly presented to the people, and all the money 



UNITED BRETHREN MISSIONS. 167 

secured that possibly can be. We recommend that a 
special effort be made to secure large donations by special 
and personal efforts, and that the missionary secretary 
and treasurer spend as much time as possible in work- 
ing up this matter. 

" In order to have a definite and well understood plan 
before us, we recommend that an effort be made all over 
the Church to secure within the ensuing two years the 
sum of fifty thousand dollars, and that obligations be 
taken conditioned so that these notes are not payable, 
unless at the option of the donor, until the whole of 
this amount shall be secured." 

The reader will see by this report, passed at this time 
and reaffirmed one year later, that these new men found 
it as difficult to retrench as the old officers did, and 
made no better progress in doing so until there was ab- 
solutely no other way left to them. This remark is not 
made in the spirit of fault-finding, but to show that 
managers of mission work, who are made to see and feel 
the great demands for enlargement, are much inclined 
to attempt more than the means at their disposal war- 
rants. 

Under the circumstances, it was thought best to close 
out the business carried on by our missionaries in Af- 
rica, as the mission store, with warehouse and wharf, 
could now be leased, and such arrangements made as 
would enable the missionaries to get such supplies as 
were needed from the store on reasonable terms. It will 
be remembered that Shaingay, the headquarters of Sher- 
bro mission, is sixty miles from Freetown, which would 
be the point at which all trade must be carried on unless 
there was a mission store. As there was less manual la- 
bor to do, the farm being fully opened, and more to do 
in the schools and in what was, properly speaking, real 



168 HISTORY OF THE 

mission work, it was well to look towards less secular 
and more educational and spiritual work. In this change 
there was a general agreement by all concerned. Ac- 
cordingly, in September, Mr. Flickinger, at the request 
of the executive committee, sailed for Africa, going on a 
sailing vessel again, which was from the 12th of Septem- 
ber until the 6th of November making the voyage, 
which the same vessel had frequently made before in 
from thirty to thirty-five days, but now, owing to un- 
usual calms, required fifty-five days. The day Mr. 
Flickinger reached Freetown, Rev. Mr. Sage, being in 
bad health, left with his wife on a steamer for the United 
States. Rev. Mr. Lesher had returned in July for the 
same reason, and Mr. Wilberforce and family a few 
months before, having completed five years in Africa. 
The only American missionaries on the ground were 
Messrs. Evans and Gomer and wives. Besides closing 
out the business of the Sherbro mission, for, owing to 
the saw-mill and the necessity of keeping some goods in 
stock to buy the logs and supply laborers, it could not 
be done on Mendi mission entirely. Mr. Flickinger was 
charged with the duty of putting the work upon a basis 
that would not require over eight thousand dollars a 
year above what the American Missionary Association 
gave, which was about five thousand dollars. He at 
once called Mr. Evans from Bonthc to Shaingay, where 
he and the above named missionaries spent a whole day 
in council, the all-absorbing question being how to keep 
the work from retrograding on considerable less money 
than it had received for the last few years. It was ar- 
ranged that the work should be carried on for ten thou- 
sand dollars a year from January, 1SS6, to January, 1888. 
This was not to include the salary and traveling ex- 
penses of Mr. Wilberforce, in case he was returned to 



UNITED BRETHREN MISSIONS. 169 

that country. He had been employed lecturing, preach- 
ing, and in the meantime reading medicine. During 
the winter he attended medical lectures, and was one of 
the best students in the medical college. 

The secretary, Dr. Warner, in his report of the African 
mission, said: "The spiritual results of our work in 
Africa are very gratifying. One year ago there were re- 
ported 1,526 members ; this year we report 2,629. From 
them we can select the men who are to redeem the peo- 
ple among whom we are laboring. The foreigner cannot 
evangelize Africa. The native church can and must do 
it. Strong leaders will be needed for years perhaps, but 
the rank and file of the Christian workers must be found 
among the members of the native church. The African 
mission sustained a real loss in the death of Thomas 
Tucker, the oldest convert in that mission, and pastor 
at Mo-Fuss. He died September 13, 1885. Among his 
last words he said, 'I am ready to die and go to reign 
with my Savior. I feel that God is with me all the 
time.' » 

As Mr. Flickinger had arranged with Dr. Jones, of 
London, the secretary of the Freedmen's Missions Aid 
Society, to be with him at the beginning of the year 
1886, he left Africa again on the 23d of December, 1885, 
and reached England the 10th of January following. 
The secretary's report says of him : " Bishop Flickinger 
has been in England since early in January. While in 
Africa he visited all our stations, held the annual meet- 
ing, and ordained one native preacher. This visit will 
have a good influence on our work in the future, I 
hope.'' He gave the following figures as the value of 
our property in Africa: Sherbro mission, $9,368.80; 
Mendi side, $19,250, total, $29,618.80. The Early Dawn 
continued to be published, and was helping our cause in 



170 HISTORY OF THE 

Africa, though it made scarcely enough to pay expenses 
of publication. The following extracts from the secre- 
tary's report respecting Germany will be sufficient to 
show how the work has succeeded there : " The field has 
passed through a varied experience the past year. Six 
months ago the health of Rev. J. Sick so failed that he 
had to cease active work. His health not having im- 
proved, he has been compelled to retire from the service 
of the board. The annual meeting was held by Bishop 
Flickinger April 21st. The present membership is six 
hundred and thirty-eight. By an arrangement, subject 
to the approval of the board, Bishop Flickinger will act 
as presiding elder the coming year. The true policy for 
Germany, I think, is to use native preachers, with a 
superintendent from the United States. In a few years 
the whole work may be managed by natives. A small 
paper has been published; also an almanac, four thou- 
sand copies of which were sold. While our missionaries 
are subjected to many petty annoyances, often prompted 
by ministers of the state church, and while there are 
legal hindrances to our work, still we are gaining the 
confidence and esteem of the people. During the year, 
Rev. C. BischofT, the founder of the Germany mission, 
died. Being a man of property, he was a great advan- 
tage to our work as treasurer and book-keeper. God is 
using us in Germany for his glory. It will be necessary 
for the board to find a capable man to go out to superin- 
tend the work. The amount paid to this mission the 
past year was two thousand and one hundred dollars. 
There should be added two hundred dollars. Halls in 
which to hold service must be rented, which increases 
our expenses there." 

The frontier missions of the Church during the year 
had about the usual success, some growing rapidly, some 



UNITED BRETHREN MISSIONS. 171 

slowly, and some not at all. Arkansas Valley increased 
in all essential respects, gaining over five hundred mem- 
bers. California about held its own. East Nebraska 
had become self-supporting, and was doing quite well. 
Elkhorn, which, by the General Conference of the year 
before, had part of Dakota Conference added to it, seemed 
to have new life infused into it. Minnesota had some 
success, though there were difficulties owing to severe 
cold and scarcity of laborers. North Michigan reported 
some growth, but less than in some former years, for var- 
ious reasons. Neosho was in a good degree successful, 
and the outlook hopeful. Ontario had a good year, and 
prospects were brightening. Oregon had very little 
growth and the future was not promising. Southern 
Missouri did well compared to other years, but the pros- 
pects for future growth were, for various reasons, not 
promising. Tennessee had more conversions and acces- 
sions to the Church than usual, but the location is not 
good, for United Brethren. There are about fifty families 
of United Brethren in middle Tennessee, but they are 
more than two hundred miles from Tennessee Confer- 
ence. Walla Walla had a healthy growth, with a good 
prospect for the future. The Chinese school in Walla 
Walla City had extended beyond the Chinese population 
and a local church of about thirty members and a flour- 
ishing Sabbath-school had been organized. The school 
did well among the Chinese, and the board was very 
much encouraged. West Kansas made quite a good 
deal of progress in the year, but had not as much enter- 
prise as it should have had. West Nebraska grew rap- 
idly, and made in several respects substantial progress 
with prospects of a prosperous future. To Wisconsin 
was added what had for years been Fox River Confer- 
ence, and although the progress made was slow, it was 



172 HISTORY OF THE 

quite up to its previous success, with some favorable 
indications. The mission districts in Kentucky and 
Southern Illinois, as in other } r ears, had a number of 
accessions to the Church, but the prospects looking to- 
ward permanent growth were not good. Colorado had a 
more prosperous year. An effort was made to organize 
a third church in Denver, but failed. The other city 
charges and portions of the district had considerable 
success. The freedmen's mission, in Virginia, had very 
limited success, and prospects were not good for more 
rapid growth. Toledo German mission had some pros- 
perity, and so had Philadelphia, with hopeful omens for 
future growth. A new mission was commenced in Des 
Moines, Iowa, which had a good year, and the outlook 
for the future was excellent. 

The Church-Erection Society had a prosperous year, 
and the home mission department of the Church suc- 
ceeded well also. Failures there were here as elsewhere, 
but these in comparison to successes were few. 

The thirty-fourth annual meeting of the board was held in 
Lagonda, Ohio, May 5, 1887. This closed a year ever to 
be remembered for several reasons. The death of Bishop 
Glossbrenner, the first and only president of the society, 
except four years from its organization in 1853, had oc- 
curred the previous January. The bishop of the foreign 
district had reached America barely in time to attend 
the previous annual meeting, and had, during his stay 
in this country, visited a few places in the East in the 
interest of the Germany chapel fund. He in this way 
secured about one thousand dollars for this interest. 
He was ready, with trunk packed, to start back to Eng- 
land to assist in collecting money when he received a 
letter from Mr. Rufus Clark, of Denver, Colorado, re- 
questing him not to leave until the fourth of August, as 






UNITED BRETHREN MISSIONS. 173 

on that day an important case was to be decided, which 
would enable him to give five thousand dollars for the 
erection of a training-school in Africa. The history of 
this, briefly stated, is as follows : Mr. Flickinger, as sec- 
retary of the society, was called to Denver some years be- 
fore, and while there preached and lectured on Africa in 
the First Church. Mr. Clark became interested in Af- 
rica, and made some inquiries about its wants. Mr. 
Flickinger told him it had many, and, among the press- 
ing ones, a training-school in which native teachers and 
preachers could be raised up to teach school and to itin- 
erate, and that it ought to be established soon. Mr. 
Clark, in an incidental way, remarked that it would be 
a good thing, and he might some time consider its 
claims. Rev. W. Rose, who was pastor there at the 
time, and who did a great and good work afterward in 
building Smith Chapel and parsonage in Denver City, 
and Mr. Flickinger took Mr. Clark's remark to heart, 
and from that day until the 9th of August, 1886, when 
Mr. Clark paid the five thousand dollars to Mr. Flick- 
inger in Denver, they had co-operated to get that money. 
Many letters had been exchanged between Mr. Flickinger 
and Mr. Rose, and the latter sent the following telegram 
to Mr. Flickinger, which said, "Come get the money." 
So, instead of leaving his home, Willoughby, Ohio, for 
England, on the 4th of August, Mr. Flickinger left for 
Denver, and on the eighth he again preached and lec- 
tured on Africa in that city, and the next day he re- 
ceived a check for five thousand dollars and sixty dol- 
lars to pay cost of trip from Willoughby to Denver and 
return. Qn his way back he stopped to see Dr. Rosen- 
berg in Osage City, Kansas, from whom he got six hun- 
dred dollars for Germany Chapel. He proceeded to Day- 
ton and asked the executive committee to appoint Rev. 



174 HISTORY OF THE 

J. M. Lesher to go to Africa the next month to com- 
mence building, as he had to remain in England until 
November. Mr. Clark had made Mr. Flickinger responsi- 
ble for the erection of the house and proper expenditure 
of money; hence he wished to select his helpers, which 
he did, leaving the money with the missionary treasurer 
to be paid as needed. Accordingly, on the 18th of Sep- 
tember, 1886, Rev. J. M. Lesher, with Rev. D. F. Wilber- 
force and family and Rev. R. N. West and wife, the last 
two going under the auspices of the Woman's Mission- 
ary Association, sailed from New York to Freetown in a 
sailing vessel. The voyage was a long one, and it was 
November ere they reached Africa, and Mr. Lesher did 
not get fairly to work on the building before December. 
The first and responsible part of the work was to get 
materials on the ground, and stone-masons to dress the 
stone, and carpenters to do the preparatory work for such 
a building. • No one but a good mechanic could well 
manage the native workmen or even the best mechanics 
there so as to get a serviceable building. Mr. Lesher was 
a carpenter before he became a preacher and missionary, 
and hence the man for the place. When Mr. Flickinger 
reached Africa on December 7th, he found Mr. Lesher 
had a large force of men at work. This continued until 
the last day of January, 1887, when the corner-stone was 
laid, the walls having been commenced before. This 
building is sixty-six by thirty-one feet, three stories 
high, the third story being lighted by large attic win- 
dows in the roof and similar windows in the gable ends. 
The corner-stone and many others in the building came 
from the walls of Mr. John Newton's slave pens on 
Plantain Island, three miles from Shaingay. Surely Mr. 
Newton, at one time a cruel slave-trader, and afterward 
a celebrated minister of the gospel, would rejoice with 



UNITED BRETHREN MISSIONS. 175 

others, were he still on earth to see these stones, once 
used to promote the slave trade, now in the walls of a 
house in which to train men and women to work for the 
abolition of slavery and wickedness of every kind among 
the degraded tribes of West Africa. There are two reci- 
tation rooms of fourteen by seventeen feet, and a chapel 
twenty-eight by thirty feet on the ground floor; and on 
the second floor there are ten rooms, each large enough 
to accommodate two students, in which to lodge and 
study. The third story will accommodate as many 
more, though not in separate apartments. 

Much might be written upon the details of erecting this 
house which would interest the reader, but it must suffice 
to say that there were from thirty to fifty men employed 
who completed it in five months. The stone had to be 
quarried on islands which were from one half to three 
miles from Shaingay, then loaded into boats and rowed 
to the mission wharf, then carried up a steep bank and 
put on the mission wagon and drawn a quarter of a mile 
by oxen to place of building, then dressed and placed 
in the wall. Lumber was bought here and there, and 
brought to Shaingay on boats, and to site of building in 
same manner as we did stone. Considering the fact that 
it takes three native workmen to be equal to one Ameri- 
can, and in many things one American is equal to four 
of them, it will be seen that to erect such a building is 
no child's play. But for the good supply of mission 
boats received from Mendi mission, and the good wagon, 
and wharf at Shaingay, for procuring which Mr. Gomer 
and others were so severely criticised, this building 
could not have been erected in one dry season, which of 
itself would have been a great misfortune, and cost as 
much more money as was paid to procure the wagon, 
and building of wharf, which are still very serviceable. 



176 HISTOEY OF THE 

The secretary, Dr. Warner, said in his report to this 
meeting respecting the African mission : " The last an- 
nual meeting of the African district commenced Decem- 
ber 17th, and was one of the very best in our history. 
Bishop Flickinger presided. Brother and Sister West 
were not present because of the illness of the former. 
The influence of this meeting on our native workers 
was excellent. Three of them had fallen into sin dur- 
ing the year and were expelled. This enforcement of 
discipline made a deep impression upon all. There are 
three presiding elder districts, Shaingay, Mendi, and 
Bompeh, with sixteen mission stations. The net in- 
crease in members is one thousand three hundred and 
eleven, making the whole number three thousand nine 
hundred and forty. During the year a number of our 
people died, leaving a clear, strong testimony to the 
power of divine grace to sustain them in their last 
hour. It will be seen by reports that many of these 
enrolled are seekers, but this does not mean that they 
have not been converted, for many of them have been. 
Such is the poverty of the Sherbro and Mendi dialects 
that it is very difficult to make these people understand 
the questions in the discipline which applicants are re- 
quired to answer in the affirmative before they can be 
received into the Church. The difficulty is not in the 
heart, but in the intellect. How to overcome this is 
hard to solve. The number of towns visited the past 
year was three hundred and eight-seven, an increase of 
eighty-four over the previous year. There is no egotism 
in saying that we are doing a work there that no other 
church has done up to this time. A gentleman of intel- 
ligence, not a member of our church, visited the African 
coast from the mouth of the Congo to Freetown, and said 
the reputation of our mission is the best of any along the 



UNITED BRETHREN MISSIONS. 177 

coast. Is this true ? If so, we owe it to the faithful work 
of our missionaries." 

The secretary after telling of the building of Rufus 
Clark and Wife Theological Training-school, says, " this 
school was opened February 21, 1887, with three students 
in the department of theology, and five bright boys in 
the primary department." This was an epoch of interest 
in the African work. 

The following resolutions adopted at this meeting con- 
sidering the previous criticisms of some who voted for 
them, and others in the Church, upon the management 
of the African mission, in view of its costing so much 
money, are suggestive, and in place here : 

"Whereas, Rev. J. Gomer, superintendent of the 
Sherbro mission in Africa, and Rev. J. A. Evans, super- 
intendent of Mendi mission in the same country, have 
gone forward with faithful work and successful efforts 
in winning souls, and building up the kingdom of 
our Redeemer in the midst of many trials and afflic- 
tions, and have reported from time to time how the 
Lord is pouring his salvation upon the people; there- 
fore, 

" Resolved, 1. That we give thanks to God for the pres- 
ervation of their lives and health, and the lives and 
health of their families, and for the good work which, 
under God, they have performed. 

"2. That the thanks of the board are due, and are 
hereby tendered to Mr. Rufus Clark and wife of Denver, 
Colorado, for their generous gift of $5,000 for the train- 
ing-school in Africa. 

"3. That we tender to Bishop Flickinger and Rev. 
J. M. Lesher the sincere thanks of the board for their 
successful management of the erection of the Clark 
Training-school building. We are also glad that Rev. 



178 HISTORY OF THE 

D. F. Wilberforce has already commenced said school 
with nattering prospects of success. 

u 4. That we appreciate the good work of Rev. R. N. 
West and his faithful wife, at Rotufunk, in the employ 
of the Woman's Missionary Association, and of all the 
good and faithful laborers, who have toiled in the field 
with these missionaries, and with those men and women 
of Sherbro and Mendi missions who have rendered such 
efficient help in the work of God during the past year." 

The following from the report of the secretary con- 
cerning the Germany district shows the results of the 
year's work there: "This work has made no strik- 
ing advancement during the year. Being wholly in the 
hands of native missionaries, it is somewhat difficult 
for them to make detailed reports. The accounts given 
of their work in the paper published in the interest of 
that mission are quite encouraging. Two churches will 
be built, one in Apolda and the other in Gollnow. We 
need a superintendent from this country in Germany. 
He should be at least fairly educated in the German lan- 
guage and well acquainted with the history, doctrines, 
and usages of our church. The Germany mission should 
be pushed with as much energy as possible, as it has 
compensations that our other foreign work cannot have. 
Immigration will bring some of the people converted 
there to this country, helping our German work at home 
as well as the whole denomination. The annual meet- 
ing occurred April 27th, too late to receive their annual 
report in time for this meeting. So far as I have infor- 
mation, the work in Germany is hopeful. Bishop Flick- 
inger has arranged for Rev. J. M. Lesher to spend some 
months in Germany, to aid the work as far as he can. I 
think this arrangement a good one." 

The frontier missions of the Church, with few excep- 



UNITED BRETHREN MISSIONS. 17 ( J 

tions, were successful during the year, and there was en- 
couraging advancement made in a number of the mis- 
sion conferences. Arkansas Valley continued to grow 
rapidly, but needed much more money. California had 
some revivals and built two new church-houses. The 
college at Woodbridge did well, and was one of the most 
promising features of this conference. East Nebraska 
was fairly successful, and was going into the important 
towns of the country. Elkhorn did not progress much, 
and its condition was not hopeful for the future, owing 
to a want of consecration among the missionaries. Min- 
nesota had gracious revivals and increased her member- 
ship, but was losing by people leaving it for warmer 
countries. Neosho ceased to be a mission conference in 
the year. In North Michigan the work of the year was 
not as promising as it had been in other years, there be- 
ing some difficulties in the way which time will remove. 
Ontario had some growth, and the outlook was good for 
the future. Oregon met with but little success, and 
there was but little prospect that matters would improve 
soon. South Missouri had an encouraging increase dur- 
ing the year, and was enlarging its sphere of operations. 
Tennessee had as good a year, if not better, than any in 
its previous history. Edwards Academy had done well, 
and the prospects for the school and conference were 
nattering. The work succeeded well at Walla Walla, in- 
cluding the Chinese school in Walla Walla City, and 
Washington Seminary. West Kansas had an excellent 
year, gaining in membership, organizing churches in 
railroad towns, and building up Gould College. West 
Nebraska did well in building up Gibbon Collegiate In- 
stitute, in which a number of men were preparing for 
the ministry. It was paying attention to important 
towns. The outlook was good. Wisconsin Conference 



180 HISTORY OF THE 

was extending its work, and several large towns were 
occupied during the year for the first time, which, with 
the extensive revival of religion in it, made the outlook 
hopeful. 

The Colorado mission district built one new house of 
worship during the year, but the results of the year were 
not encouraging. It is a difficult field to cultivate, for 
our church in and outside of Denver has been of slow 
growth from the beginning. Southern Illinois district 
had a good year, and added two new houses of worship, 
with quite a number of accessions to the Church. Ken- 
tucky district received no money from the board, and 
continued to do but little, so that the outlook was not 
flattering. Upon the freedmen's mission in Virginia 
the membership and spiritual condition of the people 
had increased. Des Moines City mission received aid 
from the board during the year, and was reasonably 
prosperous. 

Home missions had a reasonably good year, and also 
gained in membership as rapidly as did the frontier mis- 
sions of the Church. The year, as a whole, may be re- 
corded as one of the most successful of the society. Es- 
pecially did the African mission succeed well. The 
large increase in members there, erection and commence- 
ment of Clark Theological Training-school, and the suc- 
cessful work done by Bomphe mission, under the aus- 
pices of the Woman's Board, with plans for opening a 
girl's training-school, and in other respects making the 
work there more effective, altogether made Africa a 
highly encouraging field of labor. 

The thirty-fifth annual meeting of the board occurred in 
Dayton, Ohio, May 10, 1888. Dr. Warner's connection 
with the society closed in August, 1887, and the treas- 
urer, Rev. Wm. McKee was elected acting secretary, and 



UNITED BRETHREN MISSIONS. 181 

hence he made the report at this time. The following 
extracts from this report show the result of the year's 
work: 

"The year just gone has been fairly successful. We 
have had some reverses and apparent misfortunes, but 
our missionaries have lived, labored, and won many 
souls to Christ. It is with a sense of profound sorrow 
that I am called on to record the death of Dr. Warner, 
the former corresponding secretary of this board. After 
leaving the office of secretary, he accepted a call to the 
pastorate of the United Brethren Church, at Gibbon, 
Nebraska, and entered upon the active duties of his 
charge with enthusiasm about the 1st of November, 
1887. He died the latter part of January. 

"Of the Sherbro and Mendi missions I have to report 
continued success. I do not mean by this that we have 
the figures to show an increased membership, for there 
is an actual loss ; but I do mean to show that, despite 
the ravages of war with its rapine, murder, conflagra- 
tions, and general demoralization of the order, and pur- 
suits of farming, manufacturing, mercantile, educational, 
and religious agencies of the country, our missionaries 
have continued at their, posts of duty. God has wonder- 
fully spared their lives and enabled them to continue 
their work. It is true some of our stations have been 
captured, the towns and chapels burned, the people scat- 
tered—some of them killed and others carried off into 
helpless slavery — and the ministers greatly persecuted. 
Yet it can be truly said, 'out of all the Lord has deliv- 
ered them.' They have verified the experience of Paul 
in their own. 'We are troubled on every side, yet not 
distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; perse- 
cuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed.'" 

The following detailed account from Mr. Gomer, sent 



182 HISTORY OF THE 

three months before the annual meeting, will show the 
condition of Sherbro mission : " At Shaingay we are get- 
ting along well, spiritually, as well as temporally. A 
few of our members have gone crooked, and have given 
us much grief, but they are on their way again trying. 
At the close of the year Mr. Wilberforce resigned the 
pastorate, his other duties being very hard on him. 
This makes it hard on me, as the out stations need close 
attention. At Mannoh the school has not opened yet, as 
the teacher is a war witness in Freetown. The people 
there hold prayer and class meetings among themselves, 
and an itinerant from Koolong visits them occasion- 
ally. They have repaired their own barra and mission 
residence, and cleaned the place nicely. At Koolong the 
outlook is very good. Mr. J. A. Richards is in charge. 
He has a good staff of three itinerants, and his wife, 
David Louding's sister, is a first-class worker. At 
N'Charmany the work is looking up. The people have 
repaired their own barra for school and meetings, and 
are doing well. Tonkoloh has not yet got over the 
effects of the war; something needs to be done to stir 
up the people. At McCobo there should be a mission 
house and a barra. I believe the people will rebuild 
the barra themselves. The mission ought to build the 
house. The head people of the town have never re- 
turned since the war. Mo-Fuss has been sadly neglected. 
It is more dead than alive; but it is our fault more than 
their own. I hope to get the right thing there. Mambo 
is doing nobly. The people have rebuilt their chapel 
that was burned by the war, only the thatching and the 
doors and windows remaining to be done. At Rembee 
the religious interest is good. The people have taken a 
fresh start since the war. The Lesher school at Senehoo, 
with its branch at Cattah, under Mrs. J. Thompson, is 



UNITED BRETHREN -MISSIONS. 183 

promising. Since the close of the war we have been 
paying special attention to hunting our people. Those 
taken captive are still returning, while many will never 
return, having been sent into the far interior, or killed. 
In the secular work there is constant demand for build- 
ing and repairs. I am obliged to keep two carpenters 
employed nearly all the time on our boats, canoes, and 
houses. All this means boards, timbers, nails, oakum, 
putty, and paint, besides the carpenters. All the school- 
teachers, and two of the farmers, itinerate. I am con- 
stantly cautioning the itinerants to insist that there 
must be a change of life when they accept of Chris- 
tianity. All country fashion, purrowism, rum and gin 
drinking, polygamy, and slavery must cease, and unless 
they agree to this, they must not receive ihem as seekers. 
Respecting the Clark Theological Training-school, the 
following from its principal, Rev. D. F. Wilberforce, 
to the acting secretary, shows that this institution of 
sacred learning was looming up as a light-house to the 
"inland wanderers, beckoning them to the harbor of 
safety for their souls." February 8, 1888, he wrote as 
follows : " Last Monday, February 6th, was a day long 
to be remembered among us. It was the occasion of the 
opening of the training-school. There were present, as 
representatives of the Bompeh Mission, Rev. Mr. Sage 
and wife, from Mendi mission, and Rev. J. A. Evans, be- 
sides several of our teachers and a goodly number of the 
Shaingay people. We begin this year with three stu- 
dents in the middle class, and seven passed the prelimi- 
nary examination successfully and will form the junior 
class. Will you pray that this grand commencement of 
work may continue as begun?" Of Mendi mission, 
Rev. Mr. Evans, who had charge, wrote as follows : 
" The year commenced with a prospect of an unusually 



184 HISTORY OF THE 

large ingathering, in spite of our reluctance to admit 
persons to our class rolls; but the later war troubles on 
every side of us, although our territory was not invaded 
to any great extent, hurt our work in various ways. A 
great many of our people removed from Avery, Danville, 
and Konconany, and in Mandoh half the appointments, 
with about twenty classes, were dropped in consequence 
of not having sufficient men to itinerate that field. In 
short, our decrease has been three hundred and eighty- 
five during the year, chiefly from removals. The relig- 
ious interest has been rather better than in past years, 
as there has been more revival influence. Our buildings 
in many places having become so bad, has been a hin- 
drance to religious and educational work. We have suf- 
fered for want of books, and to me it seems almost folly 
to keep teachers when they have no books to teach from. 
The printing office, in consequence of more advertising 
in the Early Daicn and the reduced price of material 
during the past year, shows a small margin of receipts 
over expenditures." The saw-mill and farm at Avery 
and store at Bonthe had been a source of some profit to 
Mendi mission, and, taken all in all, the work done and 
and outlook were quite good. The Germany mission 
district made quite as much progress during the year as 
could be expected. A house was bought in Appolda, 
which contains, besides a hall for worship, a suite of 
rooms for the missionary to live in, and others which 
will rent so as to pay some of the expenses of the mis- 
sion. The secretary's report to the board stated : " They 
have made commendable progress during the year. They 
have not been persecuted so much as formerly. Indeed, 
it has been shown repeatedly that, while some lower 
church officials and petty magistrates have been ready 
enough to persecute our ministers and to fine them for 



UNITED BRETHREN MISSIONS. 185 

holding meetings for worship and for collecting too 
many people in a hall or private house for the health 
or safety of the audiences or other trifling charges, by 
means of which they were able, by strained interpreta- 
tions of the statutes, to bring the law to bear against 
them. Yet, by appealing their cases to the higher 
courts, they have been immediately acquitted, and in 
some cases fines and costs incurred in lower courts have 
been returned and the judges have virtually bade them 
Godspeed in preaching the gospel to the people. The 
Heilisbote is paying its own way and doing an excellent 
work for our people. What the Early Dawn is to Africa, 
the Heilisbote is to Germany for this church. The con- 
stant cry in Germany, in view of the great destitution 
among the people, is more laborers and more money to 
support them." 

The frontier missions during the year had about the 
usual prosperity, as will be seen in the following : On- 
tario made steady, healthy progress and increased its net 
membership and Sunday-school work quite a good 
deal. North Michigan also made commendable advance- 
ment in most respects, and did quite well. Wisconsin 
built several new houses of worship and raised more 
money for its missionaries and other church purposes 
than formerly, and gained some in members. Minne- 
sota had good revivals and large accessions to the Church 
at some points, and did well as a whole. Concerning 
Elkhorn and Dakota, the secretary said: "I suggest 
that the board consider the possibility of making two 
districts of this conference, either now or one year 
hence. The territory is important, but the fields are 
too widely scattered." There was no progress during 
the year. Good progress was made in Walla Walla, but 
more men and money were greatly needed. The Chi- 



186 HISTORY OF THE 

nese school in Walla Walla City did not prosper during 
the year as rapidly as previously. Oregon was going 
backward rather than forward, though Philomath College 
was doing well. There were valuable accessions to the 
ministerial force in California, and increased success of 
San Joaquin Valley College, making the outlook favora- 
ble, though there was little growth during the year. In 
West Nebraska the work went forward well, building 
new churches and parsonages and increasing the mem- 
bership of the Church. West Kansas had a very pros- 
perous year, but lacked laborers to do all the work 
needed. The growth of Arkansas Valley continued 
rapid and permanent. South Missouri made commend- 
able progress, and prospects were brightening. Ten- 
nessee did well, growing in territory and membership. 
It sustained great loss in the death of Prof. D. W. Doran, 
who was doing grandly in bringing up Edwards Acad- 
emy. The mission districts, viz., Kentucky and South- 
ern Illinois, held their own, and the latter built two 
church-houses and met with some success in other lines 
of work. 

The mission to the freedmen, in Virginia, during the 
year made advancement in church building, gaining 
members, and gave evidence of a healthy condition. 
The Staunton mission in Virginia, to which the board 
gave a small appropriation, was also succeeding quite 
well. The Toledo, Ohio, and Philadelphia, Penn., mis- 
sions were surrendered by the board to the conferences 
to which they belonged, and also Des Moines City mis- 
sion with a small appropriation. The East Nebraska, 
Neosho, and Wisconsin conferences were also struck off 
of the list of mission conferences. 

The secretary said nothing respecting home missions 
in his report, but from other sources the fact was obtained 



UNITED BRETHREN MISSION-. 187 

that they had a good year, generally, and many conver- 
sions to God and accessions to the Church as a result of 
their labors. 

The Church-Erectjon Society had a prosperous year, 
in the sense that it collected and distributed more money 
than during the previous year, and on the whole the out- 
look is good. 

The Missionary Visitor continued to do well. One of 
the encouraging features of the year's work was the suc- 
cess which attended the efforts to pay the debt of the 
society. When the board met there had been collected 
in cash $18,546.06, and secured also additional in notes 
$19,780.91 ; total, $38,326.97. During the year the avails 
of the Avery fund, which were to cease at this time, 
were secured for another year. This being nearly five 
thousand dollars annually, was a great relief to the 
society. 

The thirty-sixth annual meeting of the board occurred 
May 7, 1889, in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, two days 
before the General Conference met in York, same State. 
The year had been a very eventful as well as a successful 
one. The executive committee had employed Dr. B. F. 
Booth as assistant corresponding secretary of the society, 
Rev. Wm. McKee, the treasurer, having been acting sec- 
retary ever since Dr. Warner's connection with the board 
ceased in 1887. This being the end of the quadrennium, 
at which time the officers of the society make both annual 
and quadrennial reports, which are prepared with great 
care, the following extracts from them contain all that is 
necessary to be said respecting the progress made and 
condition of work at this time : 

" Our missions in Africa have lost none of their inter- 
est during the quadrennium. The membership has in- 
creased from one thousand five hundred and forty-four 



188 HISTORY OF THE 

to four thousand seven hundred and twenty. We have 
been hindered by war and the lack of means to carry on 
the work as rapidly as the way seemed open for us ; but 
still the Lord has given his faithful laborers a good de- 
gree of success in winning souls. 

"Rev. J. Gomer has had the entire management of the 
Sherbro missions, as he had for a number of years previ- 
ously. Rev. J. A. Evans has also had the management 
of the Mendi missions. For six years the American 
Missionary Association allowed us the use of the Avery 
fund, — five thousand dollars annually, — but this was 
withdrawn January 1, 1889. This act of generosity and 
confidence reposed in us, as a board and as a church, by 
one of the ablest and most active missionary boards in 
the country, and approved by the Congregational de- 
nomination, should be heartily appreciated by us ; and 
the chief way to show our appreciation is to prosecute 
the mission work among the Mendi tribes with a vigor 
and heartiness worthy of the successors of the Rev. 
George Thompson, Mr. Burton, and others who founded 
and labored long and hard to build up these missions^ 
This is all the remuneration the American Missionary 
Association asks, and it is the best return we can make 
to them, to the Mendi tribes, and to the Lord of missions. 
The annual report shows that we have several valuable 
properties and a wide field for missionary labor among 
the Mendi people. 

"It ought to commend itself to our observation and 
greatly strengthen our Hope in the future of Africa that 
our superintendents have employed so many of the na- 
tives, and, by their help, have been enabled to accom- 
plish so much. I have no doubt that God intends to 
save Africa chiefly through the instrumentality of Afri- 
can laborers. The ill health and return of the American 



UNITED BRETHREN MISSIONS. 189 

missionaries have made it necessary to employ more na- 
tive helpers, and the work done by these is an earnest of 
the great things we may hope for in the way of enlarged 
usefulness by them in the future. All that can be done 
by foreign missionaries toward the evangelization of two 
hundred and ten millions of souls on that great conti- 
nent is to deposit the leaven of the gospel. The Afri- 
cans themselves must furnish the host of laborers nec- 
essary to accomplish so vast a work. 

" Through the beneficence of Mr. Rufus Clark ana wife, 
of Denver, Colorado, who contributed five thousand dol- 
lars for the erection of a school building, we now have at 
Shaingay a fine stone edifice, which, as an academy of 
sacred learning, will not only be a most valuable monu- 
ment to the memory of Mr. and Mrs. Clark, but a last- 
ing benefaction to 'the numerous tribes of West Africa. 
Rev. D. F. Wilberforce opened school in the new build- 
ing February 2, 1887. At first there were three students 
in the department of theology and five in the primary 
department. Now Mr. Wilberforce reports the follow- 
ing : Middle class, three students ; junior class, seven 
students; preparatory class, two students. This makes 
twelve students in the training-school at the end of the 
second year. This indicates that the school will soon be 
filled with students anxious to secure the best possible 
training for the work of evangelists." 

Respecting the Early Dawn, the report said: "This 
paper is published at Bonthe, British Sherbro, by Mr. 
Evans. It is now in its sixth volume, and, as its name 
indicates, is performing an important part in driving 
away the darkness of a long night of ignorance, super- 
stition, and suffering, and ushering in a day of deliver- 
ance from the thralldom of idolatry. So far the pub- 
lisher has succeeded in making the Early Dawn support 



190 HISTORY OF THE 

itself; at the same time it is doing much to teach the 
people how to live as civilized beings and how to earn a 
livelihood." 

The following resolutions, taken from the minutes of 
this meeting, so fully explain themselves that they are 
inserted without comment or introduction : 

" Whereas, Rev. J. Gomer and his wife have returned 
in safety to America after an absence of seven years 
spent in earnest missionary labors in West Africa ; and, 

"Whereas, Brother Gomer has for many years been 
our trusted and honored superintendent of missions in 
West Africa, and discharged his duties with great fidel- 
ity and skill ; therefore, 

11 Resolved, 1. That we render thanks to the Lord of 
missions for preserving their lives and permitting them 
to return to us in health and peace to sit in the counsels 
of this board meeting, and to attend the General Confer- 
ence. 

l ' 2. That we hereby express to them our hearty thanks 
for their earnest and successful labors, and our willing- 
ness to continue them in this blessed service for time to 
come. 

k ' 3. That the thanks of this board are due, and hereby 
tendered, to Bishop Flickinger for his diligence and 
faithfulness in the superintendency of our foreign mis- 
sions during the last quadrennium. 

" 4. That this board hereby expresses its confidence in 
the work of Rev. J. A. Evans, of the Mendi missions, 
and of Rev. D. F. Wilberforce, principal of the Clark 
Theological Training-school at Shaingay, and fprays the 
blessing of God upon them and their work in the years 
to come." 

" Whereas, Bishop Flickinger and others report that 
industrial schools for the training of the boys and girls in 



UNITED BRETHREN MISSIONS. 191 

Africa are an important factor in lifting the people from 
a state of barbarism to that of Christian civilization; 
therefore, 

" Resolved, That we look with favor on the plan of es- 
tablishing such schools in Africa in the near future." 

Dr. Hott, then editor of the Religious Telescope, who was 
at one time treasurer of the missionary society and well 
acquainted with its work and workers for twenty years, 
was present at this meeting, and in the report he made 
to his paper appeared the following : 

"That veteran missionary of Africa, Rev. Joseph Go- 
mer, just home from that far-off land, was present. He 
comes like a battle-scarred soldier of Jesus. It is almost 
nineteen years since he, with his faithful wife, went out 
to that dark land. On the first of December, 1870, they 
started for Africa, and landed in Sierra Leone, January 
10, 1871. He at once began to inaugurate the system of 
itinerant labor among the people of the towns and vil- 
lages who had not heard of Jesus. Since that time he 
has only twice visited our country. In 1876 he was 
asked to return to America for a season of rest, and after 
some months he again returned to Africa, and continued 
to labor there until 1882, when he again visited America 
for a short season of rest. He then arranged his affairs 
for a long service in Africa, and apparently with the in- 
tention to live and die there. For seven years he has la- 
bored incessantly in that terrible climate, and amid the 
perils of disease and dreadful war. Now he is home for 
a season of rest after these toils of long years. On the 
twentieth of next July he will be fifty-five years of age. 
He has lost some of his flesh and has grown not a little 
gray. On Sabbath morning he preached in Trinity 
Church, Lebanon, Pennsylvania., and on Monday night 
he gave a magic-lantern view of the scenes of our mis- 



192 HISTORY OF THE 

sions in Africa, which was intensely interesting and in- 
structive. He is looked on with deep interest by all. 
God has wonderfully spared and blessed his life. 

" Bishop Flickinger is also fresh from Germany and Af- 
rica. He is in good health and, though just home from 
his eleventh visit to Africa, he is as fresh and vigorous 
as in the years gone by. He has crossed the Atlantic 
Ocean twenty-two times, but often by the long route by 
way of England, making an equivalent of not less than 
thirty crossings of the ocean. He has stood in the front 
of our mission work as a church thirty-two years, for it 
is now thirty-two years since he was first chosen corre- 
sponding secretary of our missionary society; and in 
this work he has labored unceasingly through this long 
stretch of years. Two years before his entering upon 
the secretaryship he had gone to Africa in the first com- 
pany of foreign missionaries our church ever sent out. 
Eternity alone will unfold the wonderful results of his 
toil. The Church will warmly welcome him home again." 

The work in Germany, owing to many hindrances, did 
not succeed as well as in former years. It is true, how- 
ever, that the outlook is good for more rapid growth in 
the future, provided that field is properly cultivated. 
The following, from the secretary's report, presents it 
correctly : 

"Our mission work in Germany goes on as well and 
rapidly as could be expected with the money expended 
and the number of missionaries employed. Rev. J. Sick 
was, on account of ill health, obliged to return to Amer- 
ica early in the quadrennium, thus leaving our work en- 
tirely in the hands of native ministers, except the atten- 
tion given to it by Bishop Flickinger. Owing to the 
absence of other American ministers, he has devoted 
considerable time and attention to that field. 



UNITED BRETHREN MISSIONS. 193 

" The donation of Mrs. M. S. Bischoff of ten thousand 
dollars, the interest of which is to go to the Germany 
missions perpetually, unless overruled by the courts, 
and the securing of several houses of worship through 
help obtained from the now sainted Dr. Kosenberg, of 
Kansas, and others in America, has imparted a degree of 
solidity and hope to our Germany missions greater than 
ever before entertained. 

" The Heilisbote is edited and published at Coburg by 
Rev. S. Barkemeyer. The paper pays its own way, and 
is an invaluable aid in the prosecution of our work. 
One or two American ministers should be sent to this 
mission at an early day." 

The following taken from the secretary's report repre- 
sents the progress made in the frontier and home de- 
partments : 

" At the close of the last quadrennium we had on our 
list fourteen mission conferences and four mission dis- 
tricts. Of these, Dakota district was transferred to Elk- 
horn and Dakota Mission Conference. Fox River was 
transferred to Wisconsin Conference, and East Nebraska, 
Neosho, and Wisconsin conferences, by order of the Gen- 
eral Conference, were made self-supporting during the 
quadrennium. They have had no appropriation for the 
past two years. The past year they have all sent the 
one fifth of their missionary collections to the parent 
board. Tennessee has also been left, by its own con- 
sent, without an appropriation the past year. This 
leaves eleven mission conferences to be supported in 
part by the Board of Missions, viz. : Ontario, North Mich- 
igan, Minnesota, Elkhorn and Dakota, West Nebraska, 
Walla Walla, Oregon, California, West Kansas, Arkan- 
sas Valley, and Southern Missouri, and three mission 
districts, viz. : Colorado, Southern Illinois, and Kentucky. 
13 



194 HISTORY OF THE 

" Seven of these conferences, viz., Ontario, North Mich- 
igan, Minnesota, Walla Walla, California, Southern Mis- 
souri, and Tennessee, have made creditable, if not rapid 
progress; not a great gain, though every one of them 
has increased somewhat in membership. Southern Mis- 
souri and Tennessee have increased their membership 
during the quadrennium about fifty per cent; Walla 
Walla, eighty-five per cent ; North Michigan, Minnesota, 
and California have added about ten per cent to their 
membership; but the meeting-houses and parsonages 
these conferences have built, the salaries paid their 
ministers, the missionary money collected, the num- 
ber and efficiency of their Sabbath-schools, indicate 
commendable progress. 

"Arkansas Valley, West Kansas, and West Nebraska 
conferences, which may be regarded as located directly 
in the United Brethren zone, have made rapid and solid 
progress. West Nebraska has gained in membership 
about fifty per cent, West Kansas sixty-two per cent, 
and Arkansas Valley one hundred and fifteen per cent. 
West Nebraska, though it has not increased so rapidly 
in church membership as the other two, has done most 
effective work in church building, paying the ministers, 
collecting missionary money, etc c These three confer- 
ences are destined at no distant day to take rank with 
the strongest in the denomination 

"Of Elkhorn and Dakota, and Oregon conferences, I 
cannot speak so hopefully. Dakota district was too far 
away to help, or be helped by the union; and so the 
work has been separated and fragmentary, which, with 
the lack of a sufficient number of consecrated laborers, 
has so crippled it that it has actually sixty-seven less 
members than it reported in 1885. 

"Oregon Conference reported, in 1884, eight hundred 



i 



UNITED BRETHREN MISSIONS. 195 

and seventy-four members; in 1888, eight hundred and 
ninety-one, a gain of seventeen members. Of the causes 
of this slow growth it is needless here to speak. It is 
enough to say that some internal strife and a lack of a 
sufficient number of unreserved itinerants appear to be 
the chief causes of failure. However, the accession of 
three or four active laborers from the eastern conferences 
during the last year, and the revival reports we have 
had, indicate that a more hopeful day has dawned on 
Oregon. 

" Southern Missouri Conference has added about sixty 
per cent to its membership, and is doing quite effective 
work in various ways. It has a wide field, and it is be- 
lieved it will soon become a strong conference. 

"Colorado district has gained one hundred and thirteen 
members in the term, and reported a membership, at the 
last conference, of four hundred and ten. This is a diffi- 
cult field to work. We have sent several ministers to 
the district during the term, but, owing to sickness and 
other causes — some of them not well defined — it has 
been hard to keep them in the field. A number of ex- 
cellent ministers are at work there now, and the prospect 
for the future is more encouraging than it has been for a 
number of years. 

"Kentucky and Southern Illinois districts have re- 
mained at about the same mark. The board has made 
no appropriation to Kentucky for three years. They 
have managed to support themselves. To. Southern 
Illinois we have made light appropriations each year. 
I think the chief difficulty in both districts is the fact 
that we have been working in the out-of-the-way local- 
ities, and while we have accomplished good in bringing 
souls to Christ, other churches have very largely reaped 
the fruit of our labors. 



196 HISTOKY OF THE 

"Walla Walla Chinese Mission was commenced by 
Walla Walla Conference in 1884; in 1885 the board 
resolved to take hold and help it on. Eev. C. W. 
Wells has served it three years, and Rev. C. C. Bell 
one year. The mission has had a good degree of suc- 
cess. A number of Chinamen have found the pearl of 
great price, and many are anxious to acquire a knowl- 
edge of our language, manners, civilization, and religion. 

" The freedmen's work in Virginia, under the care of 
Rev. T. K. Clifford, is moving along quite well. He is a 
good and worthy man, willingly devoting his time and 
energies to his calling. While our people there are 
mostly poor, many of them are securing homes for 
themselves, and will be able after a while to support 
their own pastor. They love the Church and are pious 
Christians. They claim to have a good opportunity to 
build a church house in Jonesborough and to build up a 
good society. As this is the only work we have among 
the freedmen, it should be well cared for and sustained, 
if we would have any just claim to interest in the col- 
ored race as a church, and show our love for people so 
greatly oppressed and wronged in the past. The mis- 
sion has five classes, and two hundred and fifty-eight 
members. 

" In the home field, under the control of the confer- 
ences, there are about three hundred and forty-six mis- 
sionaries employed, with an average salary of $287.48. 

" Home missions supported in part by the board are 
located in Staunton, Virginia, and Buffalo, New York. 
In both these cities good church-property has been se- 
cured, and the work has gone forward well. 

"The missionary money of the Church is spent in 
about the ratio following : 

"To the home field, forty-five per cent. 



UNITED BRETHREN MISSIONS. 197 

" To the frontier field, forty per cent. 

"To the foreign field, fifteen per cent. 

" The work of liquidating the missionary debt has been 
pressed steadily on, with a marked degree of success. 
One year ago there was reported as secured in cash col- 
lections on the debt of $60,000, $16,675.54. We report as 
having been paid the year past in cash $23,842.23, mak- 
ing a total to date of $40,517.77. This shows that in- 
terest in the full payment of the debt has not ceased 
throughout the Church, but that there is an intense 
anxiety to see the last cent wiped from our records. 
Numerous citations from communications all over the 
Church might here be given to show that there is a large 
class of ministers, laymen, and outside friends who do 
not intend to cease paying on the debt until it is fully 
canceled. It needs to be kept before the people and 
urged actively until this much desired end is reached. 
We recommend that thank-offerings, to be applied on 
the debt until it is all paid, be taken up during the 
time of the national Thanksgiving, in the month of 
November, the Sabbaths before and after being the ap- 
pointed time, with the intervening days or the Sabbaths 
nearest that time, that the several pastors can devote 
to mission thanksgiving services; and that after the 
debt is paid, from year to year, this be the chosen time 
for such services and offerings for missions. 

" The collections for missions in the quadrennium are 
unprecedented in the history of our church, and the 
more remarkable as the term has been a period of transi- 
tion and no small amount of confusion and strife in 
many places among us. 

" The whole amount of contributions received by the 
parent board for the quadrennium is $309,496.60. 

" This is a showing for which we should be grateful to 



198 HISTORY OF THE 

Almighty God, through whose grace alone we have been 
able to accomplish this cheering result. 

" The Missionary Visitor has been issued regularly and 
seems to have given fair satisfaction to our people. Dur- 
ing the first two years of the quadrennium, under the 
editorial control of Dr. Warner, it was received with 
special marks of favor and appreciation. It is not the 
easiest thing to give satisfaction to all in a paper designed 
both for the Sunday-school and the missionary society ; 
and yet the Missionary Visitor has held its own remark- 
ably well with the Children's Friend." 

The report further says the Church-Erection Society, 
in comparison with what it did in preceding quadren- 
niums, did fairly well during the past four years ; but, 
on considering the vastness of the work to be done, the 
urgent calls for help, and the ability of the Church to 
render aid, our work is so little as to humble the board 
and the whole Church. However, the treasurer's figures 
show that a good and noble work has been accomplished. 
In the sixteen years preceding 1885, the society had col- 
lected $20,374.98 ; and in the past four years it has col- 
lected 812,325.39 in new funds. About two fifths of this 
was in bequests. From 1865 to 1885 there were seventy- 
five houses aided in their construction; in the four years 
just gone the society aided sixty-nine houses — in all, one 
hundred and forty-four, 

The facts brought out in these reports, with the table 
of figures to follow, show that God's blessing has been 
bestowed upon the mission work of the Church in rich 
measure. The first and second quadrennial reports showed 
this conclusively, as have all the succeeding ones. The 
last shows a remarkable spirit of liberality in giving 
money to pay the mission debt, and to continue the good 
work so well begun in Africa, Germany, and America in 



UNITED BRETHREN MISSIONS. 199 

an enlarged and more vigorous manner than ever before. 
The last thirty-six years have been glorious in results in 
the department of missions, Sunday-schools, education, 
publishing interests, and increase of members in the 
Church of the United Brethren in Christ. 

Before closing this chapter it would be well to call to 
mind how wonderfully God has favored our society in 
bringing to it financial help from sources outside of the 
United Brethren Church. During the last seven years, 
the American Missionary Association, of New York City, 
has given us nearly $39,000, including $9,600 for the 
steamer John Brown. The Freedmen's Missions Aid 
Society, of London, England, has paid us about $13,000. 
Dr. J. Gwynne Jones, secretary and treasurer of the last- 
named society, has been a fast friend of our African work, 
and not only has done all he could to secure for us this 
help,~t>ut assures us that more is to follow. Dr. M. E. 
Strieby, secretary of the New York association, through 
whose influence our society was so generously aided, as 
well as Mr. H. W. Hubbard, the treasurer of the associa- 
tion, have been and still are true friends of our cause. 
Rev. George Whipple, who was the secretary, and Mr. L. 
Tappan, who was treasurer of the American Missionary 
Association, when our first company went to Africa in 
1855, were very kind to them, and in this respect the 
officers of the association have followed in their foot- 
steps ever since. Both the New York and London asso- 
ciations have placed the United Brethren Church under 
many obligations to them. Their help in time of great 
need was providential, and ought to call forth our sin- 
cere gratitude both to them and to the God of missions. 

In addition to these large sums, which were especially 
given to Africa, Mr. Rufus Clark and wife, of Denver, 
Colorado, gave $5,000 for the training-school of Africa, 



200 HISTORY OF THE 

and Mrs. Bischoff (deceased) gave the society $10,000 
for missions in Germany. Thus, in ways very wonder- 
ful, God has helped us to over $65,000 for the foreign 
mission work of the Church. Without this aid, the suc- 
cess we have had could not have been achieved. 

The following table shows the amount expended for 
the four years ending May, 1889 : 

Africa $ 62,209 89 

Germany 8,880 60 

Walla Walla Chinese Mission 1,524 96 

Arkansas Valley Mission Conference 2,298 91 

Colorado Mission District 3,326 79 ' 

Elkhorn and Dakota Conference 2,028 04 

California Mission Conference 3,036 43 

Oregon Mission Conference 2,256 79 

Walla Walla Mission Conference 3,064 08 

West Nebraska Mission Conference 2,666 76 

West Kansas Mission Conference 3,135 56 

Minnesota Mission Conference 1,660 15 

East Nebraska Mission Conference 305 45 

South Missouri Mission Conference , 1,540 15 

North Michigan Mission Conference 1,635 95 

Ontario Mission Conference 937 69 

Neosho Mission Conference 47 47 

Wisconsin Mission Conference 650 59 

Tennessee Mission Conference 1,929 89 

Virginia Freedmen's Mission 443 88 

Southern Illinois Mission District 770 55 

Philadelphia Mission 542 59 

Des Moines (Iowa) Mission 300 00 

Kentucky Mission District 159 48 

Buffalo (New York) Mission 200 00 

Staunton (Virginia) Mission 175 00 

Kearney (Nebraska) Mission 40 00 

Indian Missions 75 00 

Toledo (Ohio) Mission 375 00 

In support of Remnaie Caulker in Africa 657 49 

Home missionaries, from branch treasurers.. 97,110 39 

Paid by missions as salary 250,922 98 

Total during the four years $454,908 51 

Number of missionaries employed 346 

Average salary paid them $287 48 



UNITED BRETHREN MISSIONS. 201 

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH OF REV. WILLIAM M'KEE. 

Rev. William McKee was born in Fairfield County, 
Ohio, February 20, 1831, and when twelve years of age 
moved to Blackford County, Indiana. From that time 
up to eighteen years of age he learned how to clear the 
forests, dig ditches, make rails, chop wood, plow, ride the 
wildest horses, and do all kinds of farm work. This 
part of his training gave him a body which, for strength 
and endurance under hard tasks, has few equals. He 
had received a good education in the common schools of 
Ohio, for one of his age, when he left the State, and 
when twenty-two years old he finished at a seminary 
in Marion, Indiana. At the age of twenty-three he 
was converted, and a few weeks afterward united with 
the church. His parents were members of the regular 
Baptist Church, but for various reasons he preferred to 
belong to the Church of the United Brethren in Christ, 
to which he has given thirty-three years of efficient ser- 
vice as a minister of the gospel. At twenty-four years of 
age he was married and engaged in school teaching for a 
time. In 1855 he received quarterly conference license 
to preach, and in 1856 he was received into Auglaize 
Annual Conference, commencing his itinerant life the 
following year. After three years of circuit work, he 
was elected presiding elder, in which office he has served, 
at one time and another, eighteen years. In 1863 and 
1864 he was a missionary to the freedmen, laboring 
with great acceptability and success, both as preacher 
and teacher, in Vicksburg and at Davis' Bend, Missis- 
sippi. In 1865 he was elected missionary treasurer, in 
which position he served for eight years. The reason 
for his not being continued was that the majority of the 
General Conference thought he was not as radical as he 
should be on the secrecy question. Owing to the mis- 



202 HISTORY JF THE 

sionary society's debt, and inability to pay full salary, 
Mr. McKee was in charge of a field of labor during six 
years of the eight in which he was treasurer the first 
time. At the General Conference of 1885 he was again 
elected to this office, and re-elected in 1889. Respecting 
his preaching, and his work as treasurer, the follow- 
ing extract taken from the York Daily, which published 
the proceedings of the General Conference, held in York, 
Pennsylvania, last May, presents the case as fairly as 
possible in the brief space which can be given here : 
"He is a man of vigorous physical powers, is a good 
preacher, and has rare ability as a financier. It is 
now four years since he was elected to his present po- 
sition, though he previously served his church in the 
same office eight years. During the past four years Mr. 
McKee's efforts to pay off the Church missionary debt, 
amounting to sixty thousand dollars, have resulted in 
securing nearly fifty thousand dollars, leaving but ten 
thousand yet to be provided to cancel the debt. This 
has been the result, in a large measure, of his wise man- 
agement of the society's affairs that have been entrusted 
to him. His efforts have been much appreciated by his 
church, and he has, as he deserves, their gratitude and 
esteem." Mr. McKee has represented his conference in 
General Conference at six different times, and served as 
the trustee of our printing establishment and Otterbein 
University a term of years. He is a ready and able de- 
bater and writer. His numerous and pointed articles 
published in the Religious Telescope and the Missionary 
Visitor, and his addresses upon missionary and church- 
erection interests, will long be remembered by many. 
As he is but little past fifty-eight years of age, and bids 
fair to do effective labor for another decade, at least, 
he will doubtless continue to speak and write for the 




B. F. Booth. 



UNITED BRETHREN MISSIONS. 203 

enlightenment of the Church upon missions and kindred 
interests. May many hearts and purses be thus reached, 
and much money secured. Mr. McKee has been married 
twice, and is the father of four living children. 



Benjamin Franklin Booth was born July 4, 1839, in 
Holmes County, Ohio. He was a twin, and his brother 
was called William Penn. The parents, Edwin Booth 
and Sarah Metcalf, were of English origin and raised 
under Quaker influences. The father was among the 
first anti-slavery advocates, and lived to see the system 
of slavery perish. His home for a long time was a sta- 
tion on the underground railway, and the son spent 
more than one night in assisting fugitives toward the 
north star. There were ten children born to these pa- 
rents. Of the six sons, one died while president of a 
college, three were physicians, one a farmer, and the 
subject of this sketch has been a minister of the gospel 
for nearly thirty years. He was converted February 14, 
1858, and united with the Baptist Church, and in 1860, 
without his request, was licensed to preach. Though he 
preached frequently, he never accepted a charge while a 
Baptist, owing to a want of harmony with some of the 
doctrines and practices of that church. In January, 
1863, he was received on his credentials into the min- 
istry of the Church of the United Brethren in Christ, 
and from that date until now he has been an active and 
efficient worker in the Church. 

He was elected presiding elder for twelve successive 
years by the Muskingum Conference, of which he has 
been a member, and retained on one station for six years. 
He has been trustee of Otterbein University for nineteen 
years, and president of the board for four years. He has 



204 HISTORY OF THE 

been trustee of Union Biblical Seminary for eight years, 
and is at this time president of its board. Numerous 
articles written by him, of a highly interesting and in- 
structive character, have appeared from time to time in 
the last twenty years in church papers and other period- 
icals. He has also been a member of five successive 
General Conferences. 

He had the degree of D. D. given him by both Otter- 
bein University and Lebanon Valley College in June, 
1887. In August, 1888, he was chosen assistant mission- 
ary secretary, and at the General Conference of 1889 he 
was elected to the office of corresponding secretary of 
the missionary society. He has been married twice, and 
has six children living and one dead. As he has just 
entered upon his fifty-first year, his prospects are good for 
many years of service yet in the vineyard of the Lord. 

Being in the prime of life, with antecedents of a 
highly commendable character, and now called to a 
position which will give him ample scope for the exer- 
cise of all his gifts and graces, Dr. Booth has a brilliant 
prospect before him. As editor of the Missionary Visitor 
and contributor to the columns of other periodicals of 
the Church, and as a preacher and lecturer, he is destined 
to exert a great influence in the Church, if his life be 
spared. Circumstances have so changed that the secre- 
tary of the missionary society does not spend as much 
time in doing outside work as formerly, which will en- 
able him to more carefully and efficiently attend to the 
duties of the office than his predecessors did. With his 
ability, energy, and well-informed mind, upon the ques- 
tion of Christian missions, he will speak and write much 
that our people ought to know respecting the moral con- 
dition of the world and their duty toward those who are 
without the light of the gospel. 



UNITED BFETHREN MISSIONS. 205 



CHAPTER XVII. 

Woman's Missionary Association — Preliminary remarks — Its begin- 
ning — Its mission fields — Its prosperity. 

The following extracts from a history of the Woman's 
Missionary Association, published by that body a short 
time ago, so clearly and concisely set forth the remark- 
able success of the organization, that nothing more of 
what could be justly said in this respect need be added 
to show that this society has upon it the seal of God's 
approval. 

Without flattery to the association, or censure to the 
parent society, it can be said that the women, in some 
respects, manage their interests more wisely than the 
men. Their annual meetings are much more interest- 
ing and profitable than those of the parent board. In 
1872 the older body held a meeting similar to those of 
the Woman's Missionary Association, which was very 
successful, but was objected to on account of the expense 
consequent upon the attendance of so many speakers 
and delegates. It is true it costs the women a great deal 
to have such large delegations, but the return is five-fold. 
However, intending neither to flatter nor censure, we 
will make no further comparisons. 

Wise management and grand results must be accorded 
to this association. Its managers have shown great skill 
in collecting money, and much wisdom in expending it. 
Its mission fields have been wisely chosen and success- 
fully worked. Under its present management it will 
continue to do great things for God's cause. 



206 HISTORY OF THE 

The originator of this organization, Miss Lizzie Hoff- 
man (now Mrs. Derrickson), has given the following ac- 
count of her experience. Miss Hoffman, at the time of 
the events described below, lived a few miles north of 
Dayton, Ohio : 

"The beginning of my call to missionary work was a 
desire for a deeper work of grace in my own heart. 
There was a burden on my heart. I took it to our Bur- 
den Bearer in prayer, and the answer was a question, 
*Are you willing to go to Africa?' I felt unqualified. 
The Lord's answer to Moses came. Thus I labored on 
for over one year. I sometimes felt as if I could not en- 
dure the weight. One evening I took my Bible, my best 
instructor, and read and prayed in my little room, deter- 
mined to conquer or die, in the attempt. It was near the 
dawn of day when the Angel of the Lord roiled the bur- 
den off my poor heart. Abraham was not required to 
slay Isaac — only to become willing. I said calmly and 
peacefully, ' Lord, use me as seemeth to thee good.' Soon 
there was a prompting in my heart that the women of 
our church should be organized for active and special 
work for missions. The duty became imperative. I re- 
vealed the fact to Father John Kemp. He at once be- 
came interested, and visited the most active workers in 
Dayton, and prayed and planned until he succeeded in 
calling the meeting for the organization of the women of 
Miami Conference." 

Prominent men and women met at Summit Street 
Church, and spent a day and an evening in consulta- 
tion. A woman's organization was effected for Miami 
Conference, May 9, 1872. The following preamble to the 
constitution then adopted is of interest : 

"Believing that the promulgation of the gospel of 
Jesus Christ throughout the world depends upon the sue- 



UNITED BRETHREN MISSIONS. 207 

cess of Christian missions, and that the responsibility of 
this success devolves upon all Christians, we therefore 
do, in obedience to the command of our risen Lord and 
Savior, ■■ Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel 
to every creature,' in convention assembled, in the city 
of Dayton, in the name of our Divine Master, and 
moved, we trust, by the Holy Spirit, organize ourselves 
into a missionary association." 

A number of auxiliaries were organized in the confer- 
ence. Money to the amount of $328.13 was collected, but 
no mission work was undertaken. It was expected at 
this time that other conferences would organize. Noth- 
ing was done, however. For want of an object, all but 
two of the societies of Miami Conference ceased to work. 
These two were discouraged. A meeting was called in 
the First Church to consider the question of issuing a 
call for a general meeting. Six ladies responded to the 
call. Some timid, faint-hearted ones suggested that 
they could not work as the women of some of the sister 
denominations, and if they undertook it, there would 
be responsibility, and certain failure. Sister Sow- 
ers repeated after each one of these, u They cannot do 
our work. If God calls, dare we falter?" All felt that 
God did call, and agreed to take steps toward a general 
organization. The missionary treasurer, Rev. J. W. 
Hott, and the missionary secretary, Rev. D. K. Flickin- 
ger, urged the matter in private and through the press. 
The General Board of the Church had recommended 
such an organization. Mrs. Hadley, returning from 
Africa, pressed the project. Everything pointed to it as 
a duty, and hence the following call was made : 

"For the purpose of creating a greater interest and 
zeal in the cause of missions, and laboring more directly 
in the work of the Divine Master by bringing into more 



208 HISTORY OF THE 

active and efficient service the sisters of the Church, a 
call is made for a woman's missionary convention, to 
meet in Dayton, Ohio, October 21, 1875." 

The call was answered by the following conferences : 
Miami, Scioto, Sandusky, Michigan, Indiana, Western 
Reserve, Lower Wabash, Virginia, and Allegheny. Sev- 
eral other conferences appointed delegates, who sent let- 
ters of encouragement. Two days were spent in faithful, 
prayerful work, A constitution that had been pre- 
viously published, was discussed, amended, and adopted, 
and the " Woman's Missionary Association of the United 
Brethren in Christ " was organized by the election of the 
following officers: President, Mrs. T. N. Sowers; vice- 
presidents, Mrs. Z. A. Colestock, Mrs. M. H. Bridgeman, 
Mrs. S. Haywood; corresponding secretary, Mrs. L. R. 
Keister ; recording secretary, Mrs. D. L. Rike ; treasurer, 
Mrs. W. J. Shuey. 

By the terms of the constitution, the association is 
under the direction of the General Conference, and sub- 
mits quadrennial reports to that body. But in the elec- 
tion of officers, and in general management, it is inde- 
pendent. 

At the meeting in May, 1876, Mrs. A. L. Billheimer, 
having returned from mission work in Africa, added 
new life to the meeting. It was determined to venture 
out and undertake some work, which assumed definite 
shape when Mrs. Billheimer moved " that the funds now 
in the treasury be used for the founding and support of 
a mission school in Africa." 

The first idea was to support a school under the con- 
trol of the missionaries of the General Board, near Shain- 
gay. But instead of this, by the advice of the officers of 
the General Board and the missionaries then in the field, 
it was decided to establish schools up the Bompeh River, 



UNITED BRETHREN MISSIONS. 209 

in a thickly populated territory that was calling for light, 
and was without any missionary work. The mission was 
located at Rotufunk, on the Bompeh River, about fifty 
miles east of Freetown. Miss Beeken went to Rotufunk 
late in the autumn of 1877. 

The pioneer work was difficult, but it was bravely ac- 
complished. The headman built a barra for worship, 
and the association a mud house for the missionary, near 
the town. Miss Beeken established two schools, and had 
public services in surrounding towns. She made an ur- 
gent request for a large bell for the station. Through the 
solicitation of Mrs. Sowers, Mr. John Dodds gave one; 
and as the ringing of the bell from old Independence 
Hall, on the morning of our nation's birth to freedom, 
said more plainly than words could tell, that all men are 
born free and equal, so this bell proclaims liberty to the 
captives, and the striking off of the shackles of sin that 
so long have bound them. 

Miss Beeken was succeeded at the end of nineteen 
months by Mrs. M. M. Mair, of Glasgow, Scotland. She 
landed at Freetown, October 19, 1879, and went to Rotu- 
funk the following month. The previous May, at the 
annual meeting of the association, it was agreed to send 
to Africa from this country the material for a good house. 
Two thousand dollars was raised, and Mrs. Mair superin- 
tended the construction of the building, and enjoyed liv- 
ing in it, as she so well deserved. She was indefatigable 
in her labors, and her influence over the natives was won- 
derful. She corroborated Dr. Flickinger's report, that of all 
dark places in Africa Rotufunk was the blackest. Rotu- 
funk was a station for slave traders when the mission 
was located there ; but before Mrs. Mair came away, this 
was broken up. A deed was received for one hundred 
and fifty acres of ground at Rotufunk. 



210 HISTORY OF THE 

Early in 1882 the association was warned of the declin- 
ing strength of Mrs. Mair, and began to look for reinforce- 
ment. It was determined to send a man and his wife. 
Rev. R. N. West and Miss Lida Miller, students in Union 
Biblical Seminary, were chosen. They were married in 
the summer, and sailed from New York October 2, 1882, 
arriving at Freetown December 3d. Mrs. Mair remained 
a few months, and then came home. Her presence at 
the annual meeting at Westerville added new interest to 
the work. Here the committee on African work recom- 
mended the raising of two thousand dollars, for the 
erection of a suitable chapel. This amount was secured, 
and a neat, substantial structure was built. The main 
room was forty-two by twenty-eight feet. For two Sab- 
baths the house was crowded, and then the war came, 
and that dreaded disease, small-pox, settled down over 
the town and surrounding country. The war, which it 
was thought would be short, lasted with all its attendant 
evils of butchery, famine, and plunder, with little abate- 
ment, for two years. 

Mr. West wrote : " Two of our stations, Mo Shengo and 
Sumanosogo, were plundered, and the building at Mo 
Shengo was destroyed. We have been forced to give up 
preaching in forty-nine towns where before we had regu- 
lar preaching, and though we are pressed to the wall, 
sorely perplexed as to the course to pursue, yet there is 
one thing for which we should truly praise God. Our 
people are scattered and in distress, but they have not 
turned away from the gospel. They are not willing that 
the mission should go away from them. Many cling to 
it with the energy of despair. Had it not been for the 
mission the people would all have gone away from this 
country. Mohammedanism, which has had such a deep- 
rooted hold upon the people, has, I think, received such 



UNITED BRETHREN MISSIONS. 211 

a check as will effectually destroy its power in this coun- 
try. The Mohammedans have so completely deceived 
and defrauded the people that they want nothing more 
to do with them." 

At the meeting of the board at Westfield, Illinois, it 
was decided to put up a new building, to be called the 
" Mary Sowers Home for Girls," and to raise $2,000 for 
the purpose. Mr. and Mrs. Sage, graduates of Union 
Biblical Seminary, with experience in African work, in 
the employ of the General Board, were appointed to go 
to Africa to build the house. 

The Germany mission work was undertaken at the an- 
nual meeting held at Fostoria, Ohio, in May, 1880. The 
association consented to support the work in Coburg, a 
city of about fourteen thousand inhabitants, with an 
appropriation of three hundred and fifty dollars. The 
name of the first missionary was Rev. G. Noetzold. He 
organized a church, March 27, 1881. He described the 
place as a moral desert. The state churches were given 
over to formalism, the pastors were neglectful of their 
flocks, and the common people had no gospel. The re- 
sults of his labors were highly gratifying. About the 
close of the first year, Rev. William Mittendorf, then our 
German editor, visited the mission and wrote : u I thank 
the sisters in America, as the people here say, * a hundred 
thousand times,'' for beginning this mission." At that 
time there were twenty members and a good Sabbath- 
school, and the congregations were large. There have 
been trials and persecutions here as well as in Africa. 
The meetings were often disturbed by ruffians; stones 
were sometimes thrown through the windows from the 
streets. The city papers contained articles against the 
work, probably incited by the state preachers. Of these 
the missionary wrote: "The Lord is on our side. In 



212 HISTORY OF THE 

spite of all persecutions our meetings are increasing in 
numbers." 

The successor of Rev. Mr. Noetzold proved unfaithful, 
and was dismissed. Rev. H. Barkemeyer was appointed 
to Coburg by the conference in the spring of 1886. He 
says: " The conduct of my predecessor did much harm, 
but still I believe we will recover the loss." Later re- 
ports tell of a good revival influence, and the contribu- 
tion of sixty-two dollars by a lady in Coburg toward the 
erection of a chapel. 

From the beginning of the organization the Chinese in 
our own country enlisted the sympathy of the ladies. 
At the annual meeting at Western, Iowa, in May, 1881, 
the board passed the resolution : " That we request the 
trustees to open a school for the Chinese on the Pacific 
Coast as soon as practicable." Letters were written to 
Bishop Castle, asking him to suggest a place. He visited 
San Francisco, and Portland, Oregon, and found a great 
many Chinese at both places. In Portland, Oregon, a 
Christian Chinaman by the name of Moy Ling had gath- 
ered his countrymen together and held a night school 
for six years. The school grew to such proportions that 
Moy Ling wanted some church to take it. This came to 
Bishop Castle's notice, and he began to negotiate for it. 
It was decided to take the school in October, 1882, and 
Mrs. Ellen Sickafoose, of Buchanan, Michigan, was ap- 
pointed to take charge of the mission. Her husband, 
Rev. George Sickafoose, was appointed by the General 
Board of the Church to take charge of the mission 
church in East Portland. Mrs. Sickafoose took charge of 
the school, July 16, 1883, with twenty pupils. At the 
end of the first quarter there were fifty-eight pupils and 
seven teachers enrolled ; at the close of the second, one 
hundred and thirty pupils and thirteen teachers ; and at 



UNITED BRETHREN MISSIONS. 213 

the close of the third, one hundred and fifty-seven pupils 
and twelve teachers, showing a steady increase. They 
themselves contributed for the support of the school in 
nine months, four hundred and seven dollars. Moy 
Ling has been a most faithful helper. He gave all the 
furniture, consisting of an organ, tables, seats, chairs, 
clock, stove, lamps, and books, to the association. The 
school is held every evening in the week except one, 
from 7 :30 to 9 :30 o'clock. Five or six are taught by one 
teacher. A building was rented in a good location, but 
with the growth of the school the rooms were much 
crowded, and there was soon a pressing need of a better 
building. Brother Sickafoose wrote to the association, 
describing a good piece of property which was for sale at 
a reasonable price. The location was Second and Mill 
streets; the lot fifty by one hundred feet, with a new 
building, fifty by fifty, two stories high, with two splen- 
did business rooms on the first floor, stair-way in the 
center, and twelve nice rooms on the second floor. The 
trustees of the association decided to secure the prop- 
erty, and the first year two thousand, five hundred and 
thirty-six dollars and ninety cents was raised toward 
its purchase. The remainder was apportioned to tha 
branch societies, and in due time paid. Already fifty 
have rejected the Joss, and accepted Christ as their 
Savior, and between four and five hundred have been 
instructed, both in letters and in the way of life. 

It will be of interest to everyone to know a little of 
the history of Moy Ling. He was born in Sun King 
County, Canton, China, in 1852. He attended a private 
school in China three years, and a grammar school four 
years. He has a good education in Chinese. He came 
to Portland, Oregon, in August, 1872, and has been there 
ever since. He had some idea of the great God when 



214 HISTORY OF THE 

quite young, and believed the only way to worship him 
was through Joss. The first light that dawned on his 
mind in regard to the Christian religion was from read- 
ing a Bible in Chinese, presented to him by General 
Howard in 1874. He attended a mission-school in Port- 
land about four years, has a fair English education, and 
is a beautiful writer. He joined our church at East 
Portland in 1883, and when a Chinese society was formed 
he became class-leader. He can read and speak our lan- 
guage well, and is a very fine interpreter. His people 
have great confidence in him. At first he worked dur- 
ing the day, and gave his evenings to the school. Since 
1885 his whole time has been given to the school. Very 
much of the great success of the association is due to his 
ability and consecration to the work. 

Early in December the first number of the Woman's 
Evangel was issued, bearing date, January, 1882, with a 
subscription list of twelve hundred. By the board meet- 
ing it was seventeen hundred. From the beginning it 
has paid all the expenses of publishing and of editorial 
service. The price was reduced to fifty cents in 1886, 
with such an increase in the subscription list as to prom- 
ise a profit for the association. It has proved one of the 
best agencies for extending and establishing the work of 
the association. 

The association now has three large, flourishing mis- 
sions in three quarters of the globe, seven American 
missionaries, seven native missionaries, five day schools, 
with an attendance of 192, church-membership of 706, 
value of property $26,000. It has gathered during the 
fourteen years of its existence $96,204.41. 



UNITED BRETHREN MISSIONS. 215 



CHAPTER XVIII. 

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH OF REV. J. C. BRIGHT. 

Rev. John Collins Bright was born near Canal Win- 
chester, Ohio, October 13, 1818. Be was the son of Major 
and Deborah Bright, who came from the State of Mary- 
land. The childhood of Mr. Bright was full of hard- 
ships incident to early settlers. He was an obedient, 
honest, and industrious boy. When about eleven years 
old he removed to Hancock County, Ohio, and at nine- 
teen years of age he became a Christian, under the labors 
of Rev. M. Long, and entered the ministry one year 
later. He became a member of Sandusky Conference in 
the year 1841, and fully gave himself to his calling. In 
1844 he married Miss Ann Sophia Stoner, an excellent 
helpmate in his work. To them were born George W. 
and Mary E. Bright, whose mother died in October, 1849. 
Soon after this their father became violently ill, and for 
a time it seemed he would follow to the grave his wife, 
whose loss he greatly felt. As soon as health permitted, 
he was preaching again, and great success attended his 
ministry. In July, 1851, he was married to Miss Ann 
Maria Stoner, a sister of his first wife, who still survives, 
and has shown great energy and good management in 
rearing her own six children, as well as those of the first 
Mrs. Bright. 

About this time Mr. Bright felt that the Church 
should take a deeper interest in the education of its 
youth, and began to advocate higher education, against 
much opposition. At that time many in the Church 



216 HISTORY OF THE 

were opposed to colleges, especially denominational in- 
stitutions. This was not only on account of the cost of 
building up such schools, but the fear that they would 
ultimately lead to what then were usually called preacher 
factories, and thereby exclude from the ministry unedu- 
cated men. He did the Church valuable service in over- 
coming this opposition. He moved to Westerville, Ohio, 
when Otterbein University was in its infancy, and gave 
to that institution much time and money. At the an- 
nual sessions of his conference, in the homes of the peo- 
ple for whom he preached, and everywhere, he sought to 
awaken interest in behalf of higher education and enlist 
all he could in favor of Otterbein University. His earn- 
est advocacy of this college made some turn from him 
who greatly admired him on account of his remarkable 
success as a minister. With him the question what is 
right and proper to do carried him quite beyond all con- 
sideration of what results might follow. Loyalty to his 
convictions, which were always on the side of progress, 
made him as firm as a rock. He was not content to run 
in old grooves or ruts. He must climb higher, do better 
work, and save more souls, or his ideal of life was not 
met. 

As an illustration of how deep-seated was the feeling 
against church- schools, the following may be cited: About 
thirty years ago, in Miami Conference, the question arose 
one afternoon and was discussed until nearly midnight, 
whether the conference should co-operate with other con- 
ferences in building up Otterbein University. The vote 
barely carried, and would have been lost had it been 
taken sooner, as several of the opposition left before the 
vote was taken, owing to the lateness of the hour. A 
like condition existed in Sandusky and other confer- 
ences. Mr. Bright would work by old methods so far as 



UNITED BRETHREN MISSIONS. 217 

he felt they were right, but no further ; and it mattered 
little who disapproved or who approved his course. Yet 
no man clung to his friends with firmer grasp or felt 
estrangement from them more keenly than he, for he 
had an exceedingly kind and affectionate disposition. 
Otterbein University had in him a staunch friend 
when it was greatly in need of such friends. He saw 
in prospect what we now see in reality; i. e., that 
from its halls would go forth men and women who 
would be efficient, zealous doers of good work in the 
Church. The president, secretary, and treasurer of the 
Woman's Missionary Association, and many others of 
both sexes, who are at this time filling positions of great 
responsibility and doing most efficient service in behalf 
of Christ and the Church, were students there. The 
great and good work accomplished by the colleges in the 
United Brethren Church has effectually crushed out op- 
position to them. Would that one half million of dol- 
lars, which they much need, richly deserve, and ought 
to have before the end of this year, were now proffered 
them. 

But successful as Mr. Bright's labors had been as home 
missionary, circuit preacher, presiding elder, and advo- 
cate of everything which tended to elevate and ennoble 
humanity, in the year 1852, a new field of still greater 
usefulness opened to him. Sandusky Conference had in 
it ministers such as Rev. A. Biddle, M. Long, C. Briggs, 
and others, some of whom still live, though nearly four- 
score years of age, who earnestly advocated the question 
of foreign missions. Mr. Bright caught the spirit, and 
it was soon apparent that he was to be a leader in this 
cause. At a meeting of this conference a committee was 
appointed, of which he was chairman, which presented 
to that body a report, which was adopted without a dis- 



218 HISTORY OF THE 

senting vote. The first and fifth resolutions of the report 
are as follows : 

"1. That the time has fully come when the United 
Brethren Church should unite her whole strength in a 
missionary society, which shall include not only the 
home, but the frontier and foreign fields. 

"5. That, whereas, the members of Sandusky Confer- 
ence have formed themselves into a foreign missionary 
society, our delegates to the ensuing General Conference 
are instructed to pray said conference to take such meas- 
ures as will create an effective foreign missionary society, 
in order to effect a concentrated activity throughout the 
whole church, so that we may confidently look forward 
to the time, not distant, when the Church of the United 
Brethren in Christ shall have efficient missionaries in 
foreign fields." 

Immediately after the adoption of this report, more 
than seven hundred dollars was pledged in the confer- 
ence room. This action of Sandusky Conference, under 
the leadership of Mr. Bright, in the autumn, led the 
General Conference, the following spring, to organize the 
Home, Frontier, and Foreign Missionary Society. Very 
naturally and wisely it chose him for its corresponding 
secretary. 

The foregoing resolutions, placed beside the salutatory 
which Mr. Bright wrote in the first issue of the Mission- 
ary Telescope, of which he was editor by virtue of his 
office, show how zealously he desired the salvation of all 
men. We quote the editorial entire : 

"We make to you, dear reader, our humblest bow, 
hoping that this first visit will not be unwelcome nor 
unprofitable, and that after the lapse of a few months 
we may mutually form an acquaintance so agreeable, a 
friendship so strong, and a fellowship so holy that we 



UNITED BRETHREN MISSIONS. 219 

shall not readily part company. We have no time to 
waste in mere compliments, and therefore beg leave at 
once to make known the object of our mission. We are, 
as we humbly trust, a servant of the Lord Jesus, called 
into his vineyard, not to while away the time, to specu- 
late, to dream, to take our ease, but to ivork. We come 
to you, therefore, in haste, for the Lord's business de- 
mands dispatch. 

" Believing, without the shadow of a doubt, that man is 
a perishing sinner, that he is utterly unable to redeem 
himself, that there is no salvation out of Christ, and, on 
the other hand, that there is full, free, available, present? 
eternal salvation in Christ — that Christianity is true and 
exactly adapted to all the religious needs of man — and 
knowing that swarming millions of the people in our 
own country, in neighboring countries, and especially in 
foreign and heathen lands, are living and dying in sin, 
we wish to talk with you as friend talks with friend 
about the conversion of this world to Christ, about Chris- 
tian missions in the home fields, on the frontiers, among 
the Germans, and in foreign and heathen lands. We 
wish to furnish the latest and most useful missionary in- 
telligence, to stimulate missionary enterprise, to stir up 
men, and especially young men and women, to conse- 
crate themselves to the missionary work, to open the 
fountains of benevolence and guide their streams into 
the proper channels, to encourage faith in the early 
triumph of Christ's kingdom, and, in short, to join 
heartily with all of the laborers now in the field in the 
prosecution, by all practicable methods, of the grand en- 
terprise of the age, and of all ages, and of eternal ages — 
the conquest of the whole world to the Redeemer. This is our 
mission, our whole mission; and, if God has touched 
your heart and kindled in it a spark of missionary fire, 



220 HISTORY OP THE 

give us your hand, give us your prayers, and what aid 
you can." 

After reading such an article, it is not hard to believe 
that God still raises up men for special work, as he did 
George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Martin Luther, 
John Wesley, and others. In United Brethren circles, 
Wm. Otterbein, Martin Boehm, J. J. Glossbrenner, D. Ed- 
wards, Dr. L. Davis, J. C. Bright, and others might be 
named. It is not saying more than the truth warrants 
to affirm that Mr. Bright aroused the Church upon the 
question of missions as it had never been stirred up on 
any question before. He moved hearts, opened pocket- 
books, and put people to inquiring, "Lord, what wilt 
thou have me to do ? " as is seldom done. The impas- 
sioned addresses moved people to give as they had never 
done before. Hundreds multiplied into thousands under 
his oratory, which was always full of Bible argument, 
very earnest, and full of sympathy for the lost. His 
soul was fired with an intensity in behalf of missions 
utterly indescribable. The people felt the heathen must 
be saved, that the new States and territories in our coun- 
try must have attention ; in short, wherever there was 
need of missionaries on home, frontier, and foreign fields, 
they must go without delay. There were times when he 
seemed in great agony because more was not done. John 
Knox, when he prayed, " Lord, give me Scotland, or I 
die," could not have felt more intensely the weight of 
souls than did Mr. Bright. His addresses were irresisti- 
ble, and the results upon his hearers most salutary. 

Some very amusing incidents occurred while making 
pleas for money. He became so enthused at times that 
he thought everybody ought to pour out his money 
and be glad for the opportunity to send the gospel to the 
heathen. At his own conference he was receiving sub- 



UNITED BRETHREN MISSIONS. 221 

scriptions for life members and life directors of the mis- 
sionary society, the one costing ten dollars and the other 
fifty dollars, and he passed through the audience and 
took the names of persons who were willing to give these 
sums. Among others, he went to his little boy, six years 
old, and asked him to become a life director. The boy 
had only six cents, which had been given him as a pres- 
ent, and it was a little hard for him to give it up, but he 
paid it on a life directorship, and that same boy, now a 
wealthy merchant in Columbus, has not only been a fast 
friend of missions ever since, but is infusing a like spirit 
into many young people as the superintendent and 
teacher of a large Sunday-school. During all the years 
of his ministry Mr. Bright evinced the same zeal and 
success. In 1857 his health failed, and his physicians 
forbade his preaching or making public addresses. After 
a time he went into commercial pursuits, which proved 
disastrous to him. In 1860 his health had so far recov- 
ered that he took a charge again. 

His last charge was Galion, Ohio, where he went in 
the fall of 1865, and died August, 1866. Here the church 
was at a low ebb, having only about twenty-five mem- 
bers, and the Sunday-school was almost extinct. The 
church being poor and he almost without means, his 
faithful wife began a small mercantile business to meet 
the wants of the family. These were not only dark days, 
but days of great struggle in prayer. In December he 
began a series of meetings, which continued about two 
months. He was cheered to welcome over one hundred 
and sixty into the church, among these being some of 
his own family. 

The United Brethren Church, which never had been 
very friendly to instrumental music in worship, had at 
the General Conference of 1865 forbidden it. This he 



222 HISTORY OF THE 

and others felt was wrong, and in his characteristic 
manner he made it, together with vocal music, an im- 
portant part of worship in Galion. He felt that for 
his people he needed instrumental music, and that he 
should help to break down opposition to it, which he 
bravely did. 

In March, 1866, his old affliction returned, and his 
physicians ordered him to a sanitarium, as they had 
done before. His former medical counselor told him he 
could not recover. On his way home he stopped at a mis- 
sionary meeting in Dayton, Ohio, where he made a most 
touching plea for Africa, which he thought was above all 
others the most promising field for United Brethren mis- 
sionaries. 

His last days were very happy, and his last hours were 
spent in song and prayer. His funeral was conducted 
by the venerable Rev. A. Biddle and others. The fol- 
lowing resolutions, passed by the pastors of Galion, show 
the high esteem in which they held him : 

" Resolved, That in our deceased brother we recognized 
a willing and faithful minister of the gospel of Christ — 
bold, earnest, sincere, and self-sacrificing — and one who, 
honest to his convictions, preached the word in season 
and out of season, and who would very gladly spend and 
be spent for his people and the gospel, counting not his 
life dear unto him, that he might finish his course with 
joy and the ministry which he had received of the Lord 
Jesus to preach the gospel of the grace of God. And 
the church's Divine Head did not permit him to labor 
in vain and spend his strength for naught. Many have 
under God hailed him as the minister through whose 
efforts they were led to the cross of Christ — that Christ 
in whom his own soul trusted, in life and in death, for 
grace and for glory." 



UNITED BRETHREN MISSIONS. 223 

The remains were taken to Columbus and interred in 
Green Lawn Cemetery. His wife and eight children sur- 
vived him. Three of his sons, George W., John L., and 
C. E. Bright, are in Columbus engaged in mercantile 
business. Jesse L. is pursuing a theological course in 
Yale, and will soon enter the ministry. He is develop- 
ing much of the zeal and success of his father, supply- 
ing mission churches as he has the opportunity. The 
three sons in Columbus are highly respected, energetic, 
and successful business men. One son has since died. 
One daughter is the wife of a Kansas farmer, another the 
wife of a Parkersburg, West Virginia, lawyer, and one is 
unmarried. All are doing well. 

Bright Conservatory of Music in Toledo, Iowa, named 
in honor of the subject of this sketch, stands as a lasting 
monument to his memory. 



224 HISTORY OF THE 



CHAPTER XIX. 

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH OF REV. J. KEMP. 

Rev. John Kemp was born in Butler County, Ohio, 
August 29, 1813, and was buried on the last Sabbath of 
the year 1883. He was the son of Rev. John Kemp, 
who was born in Berks County, Pennsylvania, iu 1779. 
His mother was a Zeller, also from Pennsylvania. The 
subject of this sketch was reared on a farm, and engaged 
in agricultural pursuits more or less through life. His 
educational advantages were meagre, but he attended 
school a few months each year. He soon excelled his 
teachers, and was himself qualified to teach when yet a 
boy. When opportunity afforded, he studied higher 
branches at home at night. He had great taste for, and 
became proficient in, higher mathematics ; learned sur- 
veying, and practiced it from time to time through 
life. For several years he was engaged in teaching. At 
the frequent log rollings and house and barn-raisings of 
those days he excelled in athletic feats, and was noted 
for his strength and agility on those occasions. 

When a little over twenty years of age he was married 
September 18, 1832, to Martha Clawson, who after a few 
years fell asleep in Christ. In 1842 he was married to 
Ann Williamson, an estimable woman, who shared with 
him the toils, and joys, and sorrows of life forty-one 
years, and who now, in advanced age, sorrows in this 
night of bereavement. 

He was converted August 15, 1830, and constantly 
maintained a decided Christian character. In 1847, he 



UNITED BRETHREN MISSIONS. 225 

entered the ministry, and joined Miami Conference at 
Seven-Mile, in October, 1850. Before his entering the 
ministry his home and counsels cheered the ministers 
of the gospel of Christ in no ordinary degree. He was 
for twenty-five years an active itinerant in Miami Con- 
ference, often filling the office of presiding elder. All 
these years he was deeply enlisted in the general 
interests of the Church, and few men so well understood 
its genius and spirit, or more mightily laid their hearts 
and energies of life in accord with its progressive enter- 
prises. He honored and loved the peculiar reformatory 
features of the Church, and especially its opposition to 
all forms of secret organizations. 

For thirty-five years he attended every General Con- 
ference of the Church save one, and kept himself intel- 
ligently abreast with all its enactments. Thirty-six 
years ago when the Home, Frontier, and Foreign Mis- 
sionary Society of the United Brethren in Christ was 
organized, Brother Kemp became one of .the original 
incorporators, and a member of its board of managers. 
He was an active, progressive member of that board 
during life. For twelve years he was the treasurer of 
the missionary society, and was present at every meet- 
ing of the board while he lived with a single exception. 

When the last session of the missionary meeting 
which he attended was about to adjourn, it was sug- 
gested that Brother Kemp make some remarks. He 
arose and spoke as if divinely inspired: "On account 
of feebleness I have kept quiet. But it has been a 
meeting of great spiritual enjoyment to me. I see the 
work is open. I cannot speak at length, but I can see 
ahead. The way is open before us. We shall enter 
into it. The work will go forward and onward. I see 
great light ahead." He sat down, while the audience 
is 



226 HISTORY OF THE 

sobbed with emotion. It was as if a breeze from the 
other world swept over the place. He was one who 
held on firmly to our African mission in its dark hour. 
Can the Church take up the utterance' and repeat it : "I 
see great light ahead ? " 

That speech, so very characteristic of his whole life, 
and the many he made before the board and its execu- 
tive committee during the thirty years he was a member 
of both, is an illustration of his faith in the power of 
the gospel to overcome all obstacles and triumph over 
all its enemies. He died just before the great in-gath- 
ering of souls in Africa. During all the long years we 
had worked there we- had only 514 members at that 
time. In 1884 over 1,000 were added; in 1885, over 
1,100, and in 1886, over 1,300. In 1887 the war greatly 
hindered the work ; many of our people were killed, and 
carried into captivity so that there was a loss of members, 
but in 1888 nearly 1,000 others were received. Put these 
facts alongside of Brother Kemp's speech in 1883, and it 
looks much as though he were both divinely and pro- 
phetically inspired. 

Brother Kemp met with great reverses and losses, and 
yet several times accumulated a large amount of wealth, 
and perhaps no man in our church gave during life so 
largely to any one institution as he did to the Union 
Biblical Seminary. He is the founder of the seminary. 
His munificent donation of the splendid grounds on 
which the building stands, and those adjacent to them, 
show the largeness of his heart. This was the beginning 
of the seminary. At the time of the donation these 
grounds were estimated to be worth ten thousand dol- 
lars. The present value far exceeds that sum. 

He was an honored member of the board of trustees 
and executive committee up to the day of his departure 



UNITED BRETHREN MISSIONS. 227 

into rest. He gave not less than five or six thousand dol- 
lars to the church building on Summit Street, in Dayton, 
Ohio. In intellectual powers all who came in contact 
with him recognized his ability. He had the spirit, and 
pluck, and heart of a dozen men. In intellect he was 
fleet as Asahel, and in perseverance he was as the cur- 
rents of the sea. He bore up like a mountain against 
every adversity and every storm. He thought and acted 
for himself, and could contend more earnestly and intel- 
ligently for a measure which his judgment and heart ap- 
proved, and if defeated submit more gracefully and in 
a more gentlemanly and Christian manner than any 
man the writer ever knew. He had strong convictions, 
and followed them ; he had emotions and passions like a 
storm, and withal a heart as tender as a child's, and a 
spirit as sweet as the spring-time. He carried in his 
bosom nothing but love and truth. He was the youngest 
old man to be met in a life-time. He went to heaven 
with a heart throbbing for the coming of the kingdom 
of Christ our Lord on earth. 

At the time he entered the active ministry of the 
Church, there was little provision made for the support 
of ministers. As was very often the case in those days, 
the preachers largely depended upon their farms, or the 
business they were engaged in, for a livelihood. Mr. 
Kemp being reared on a farm, and having been a mer- 
chant before he became a minister, continued to deal 
in real estate more or less until near the close of his 
life. Having considerable business, he most cheerfully 
declined being general manager of the Union Biblical 
Seminary, and treasurer of the missionary society, when 
these interests required the entire time of a man. He 
never, in all the years he gave so faithfully to church 
work, received enough to live upon, and hence depended 



228 HISTORY OF THE 

more upon his business than his salary to meet his 
wants. He helped make good places for others, which 
he might have retained, but did not. 

In his younger days he was somewhat of a politician, 
and after his removal to Dayton in 1861, he served as a 
member of the city council, and also of the school 
board, and in all the places of importance and honor 
occupied by him, he was not only faithful, but success- 
ful. West Dayton owes much of its growth to him. 
His efforts did much also to have the National Military 
Home located near the city. He was in the true sense 
of the word a wide awake and enterprising man, and 
foremost in the cause of education, missions, and every 
good work both in church and state. 

Few men have lived a more active, useful life than did 
Mr. Kemp. With a great soul, a holy ambition, an 
indomitable will, a strong, well-developed body, and an 
iron constitution, he wrought long and successfully for 
humanity and the glory of God. He carried burdens 
which would have crushed a half dozen men often, and 
was cheerful and hopeful, and even happy beneath them. 
His motto was, " What should be done, can be done, and 
shall be done; and the sooner it is undertaken the 
better." How much the world needs such men to stim- 
ulate others to deeds of noble daring. 

By the first marriage four children were born to him, 
two sons and two daughters, one son and one daughter 
of whom have passed away. By his second marriage 
there were three children, all of whom are living. Those 
surviving are Mr. S. C. Kemp, of Etimanda, California; 
Mrs. Martha Parks, of Dexter, Illinois ; Dr. W. S. Kemp, 
Hon. S. E. Kemp, and Mrs. A. A. Rike, of Dayton, Ohio, 
in which city his wife is pleasantly situated. All are 
well-to-do citizens, and some of them very prosperous. 



UNITED BRETHREN MISSIONS. 229 



CHAPTER XX. 

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH OF MRS. MARY ANN SOWERS. 

This sketch consists largely of extracts taken from 
what others wrote. It will be a source of real pleasure 
to many to have permanently preserved a little of the 
very much which might be written of Mrs. Sowers. One 
so highly endowed, intellectually and spiritually, and 
who was so abundant in good works, deserves more space 
than can be given in this volume. 

" Mrs. Sowers was born in the State of New Jersey, on 
the 28th of April, 1816, her family name being Burn- 
ham. She was converted and joined the United Breth- 
ren Church at a protracted meeting in Mount Pleasant, 
near Cincinnati, at the early age of twelve years, and 
from that time forward her voice was heard in the prayer 
and experience meetings of the Church. On the 15th of 
November, 1835, she was married to Mr. Thomas X. Sow- 
ers, whose name is familiar to the Church by his long 
connection with our publishing house in this city, and 
whose life, by it purity, godliness, and many Christian 
excellencies, was a fit counterpart of her own. Six 
children were born of this union, of whom three died 
in infancy. One of them, a son, after being care- 
fully nurtured, and having graduated from Otterbein 
University, died in the morning of life. Two of them, 
daughters, Mrs. Benjamin Marot and Mrs. W. J. Moore, 
survive. 

"About thirty years ago Mrs. Sowers was deeply im- 
pressed with the need of thorough consecration to God 



230 HISTORY OF THE 

and of holy living. She gave the subject much thought, 
reading diligently and prayerfully the Scriptures, and 
dwelt much on those passages which relate to purity 
from sin and to a higher spirituality, and made the 
subject largely a topic of conversation. She first sought 
and obtained for herself decisive spiritual victories, and 
then strove earnestly to maintain the higher grounds 
which she had reached. It is not too much to say that 
her subsequent life, up to the end, was in thorough har- 
mony with the views she cherished and the professions 
she thus made. 

"Mrs. Sowers was gifted with endowments which fitted 
her for prominence in Christian movements and work. 
In the Church, though never seeking to thrust herself 
forward, or in any unseemly way endeavoring to control 
with selfish purpose the perfect freedom of others, she yet 
could not well do otherwise than occupy the position of 
a leader. 

" Her death occurred on the 17th of November, 1880, 
and her remains were laid to rest beside those of her 
husband and son, in the beautiful cemetery overlook- 
ing the city of Dayton. It may be said of her with 
more than ordinary emphasis that the earth was made 
better by her having lived in it, and that heaven is made 
richer by her entrance into its glories." 

" The Ladies' Aid Society of the First United Brethren 
Church of Dayton have very recently been called to suffer 
a great loss in the death of Mrs. M. A. Sowers. 

"We feel that something more than mere resolutions 
are due to the memory of one so devoted to the cause of 
truth and humanity, and so pure and noble in ail that 
goes to produce a ripe, rich, Christian womanhood ; and 
yet we feel that any attempt we may make will be but a 
feeble portraiture of one so gifted and true. 



UNITED BRETHREN MISSIONS. 231 

" Sister Sowers was one of the few still left who assisted 
in the organization of our Aid Society — lacking but a 
few months of a score of years gone by. She was its 
first, and for a series of years its continued and faithful 
secretary, and afterward, for a long time, its honored 
president. 

" Her charity was unbounded both in deed and 
thought. Never a case so far gone but with her there 
was hope. Never a human soul so low down but she 
was ready to reach forth her hand to help up. When 
material aid failed, her great lever prayer would be 
brought to bear with so much force as to make one 
feel there was indeed a power unseen. Her faith knew 
no repulse. She believed with all her heart that 
whatsoever we ask in his name we shall receive, if 
for the best. She believed not, however, in faith with- 
out works, but fully in the doctrine of 'whatsoever thy 
hand findeth to do, do it with thy might;" hence her 
untiring activity in every good word and work. Mrs. 
Sowers wcs not only an active worker in her own church 
organization, but all over this city her works do follow 
her. 

" As far back as the great Rebellion many will remem- 
ber her labors in the Soldiers' Aid Society, and her devo- 
tion to liberty and the cause of her country. The old, 
worn-out soldier had no truer friend. She loved to clasp 
him by the hand and bid him Godspeed. 

"The colored people were the especial objects of her 
care. In their darkest hour, when despised and rejected, 
they found in her a friend to cheer and encourage them 
on their way. 

" Intemperance, that scourge of our fair land, received 
her just and righteous indignation. She so hated this 
deadly sin that her prayers ascended and her labors con- 



232 HISTORY OF THE 

tinued for its suppression as long as health and strength 
permitted. She lived to see many reformed inebriates 
brought to the foot of the cross and made new creatures 
in Jesus Christ. 

" She was a devoted worker in the Bible cause. She 
was for quite a time president of the Bible Society of this 
city. It afforded her great comfort to assist in dispens- 
ing the word of life in this way. 

"But perhaps in all her labors of love and deeds of 
kindness, none gave such wide scope to the workings of 
her great heart as the cause of missions. This work did 
indeed seem to be her meat and her drink. To assist 
in sending the gospel to the dark comers of the world, 
to rescue the perishing millions by telling them the 
story of the cross, to have the banner of salvation 
unfurled to the breeze in every clime, was to her the 
greatest work in which hand and heart could be en- 
gaged. She was one of the prime movers in the Wo- 
man's Missionary Society, its first president, and an 
enthusiastic worker to the very last. Some of us will 
not soon forget, when the outlook was darkest, her words 
of cheer and hopefulness, together with the enthusiasm 
and faith with which she inspired us. 

"It falls to the lot of but few to be so sincerely re- 
spected and so tenderly loved by their friends as was 
Mrs. Sowers. Children too young to remember her have 
been taught to cherish and revere her memory. Little 
boys and girls of twenty years ago, to-day recall with 
pleasure bright spots in their child-life made so by her 
tender notice and loving care. 

"Ministers and their families who were so fortunate as 
to make her acquaintance will never forget how the cares 
and discouragements of life were banished by an hour 
spent at her home. Blessed indeed is the memory of one 



UNITED BRETHREN MISSIONS. 233 

whose life was a benediction and whose death is a grief 
to all who knew her." 

As the author of this volume was well acquainted with 
this extraordinary woman for upwards of thirty years, 
and often shared the hospitality of the family when her 
husband was yet alive and their three children, who 
grew up to mature years, were with them, and often 
witnessed her work at camp-meetings and in the church, 
he can unhesitatingly indorse all that has been said in 
the above extracts. A good many of the ministers who 
preached in the presence of Mrs. Sowers will remember 
how she preached to them sometimes. She did not often 
take a text at the beginning of her discourse, but had the 
happy faculty of clinching a well made point with a 
"thus saith the Lord." 

A very common method was to invite the minister 
home to dinner from a forenoon service, and after a 
good meal was served she would in a very ingenious and 
kind way take what seamen call sounding — in short, she 
would find out what his knowledge of God's word was, 
his Christian experience, and his aspirations, and he was 
very likely to go away with the feeling that he ought to 
be a better man and a better preacher. 



234 HISTORY OF THE 



CHAPTER XXI. 

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH OF MRS. SYLVIA CARPENTER 
HAYWOOD. 

The pens of others have written a considerable portion 
of the following sketch, and have done it so accurately 
and forcibly that we prefer to copy from them. Our re- 
gret is that space does not allow a more extended state- 
ment of the life of one so pre-eminently useful. 

Sylvia Carpenter Haywood was born near Delaware, 
Ohio, August 17, 1828, and died in Westerville, Ohio, 
October 24, 1886, at the age of fifty-eight years, two 
months, and twenty-four days. Her father was a deacon 
in the Presbyterian Church, and she became a member of 
the same church at the age of fifteen years. She grad- 
uated from the Worthington Young Ladies' Seminary 
in her eighteenth year, and began teaching in Otterbein 
University in 1848, and was lady principal from that 
time until 1854, except one year, during which the 
school was closed on account of cholera She was a 
teacher of classes in Otterbein and elsewhere for many 
3'ears afterward. 

She became the wife of Professor John Haywood, July 
8, 1852, and bore to him six children, all of whom are 
dead except Lida, the wife of L. 0. Miller, of Dayton, 
Ohio. While teaching in Otterbein, Mrs. Haywood 
became a member of the United Brethren Church. She 
was associated with the educational work of the United 
Brethren almost from its beginning, and w r orked nobly 
before her classes and with her pen ; and her work will 



UNITED BRETHREN MISSIONS. 235 

remain. She was one of the originators of the Woman's 
Missionary Society of the Church, and served as president 
of that organization during most of its history ; and her 
wisdom and zeal have contributed largely to its success. 

In the local church of which she was a member, her 
wisdom, sympathy, and help could always be relied 
upon in every department of service and work. 

To a highly cultivated intellect and uncommon nat- 
ural gifts she was continually adding by reading, obser- 
vation, and experience, a rare treasury of wisdom and 
knowledge. 

To a heart conscientious, sympathetic, and believing, 
there were added the beauties and graces of an exalted 
Christian experience. 

She had a will as resolute and courageous as her mind 
was intelligent and her heart was pure, producing a life 
full of activity and good works. 

Two habits were very marked, the one of trusting 
God and relying upon his guidance in everything and 
at all times, and the other of economizing her spare 
moments by reading. She kept a Bible or Testament in 
the different rooms of her home where she was in the 
habit of being employed, and when a spare moment 
came the book was opened if but to read a verse ; and 
thus food was furnished for the soul, which gave strength 
and tone to her whole life and character. When she 
spoke of the riches of the love of Christ, of his power 
to save to the uttermost, of the blessedness that springs 
out of the victories of the faith, of the sweetness of 
perfect trust in God, or of the calmness with which the 
Christian may meet all the difficulties and perplexities 
of life, she ever impressed one with the conviction that 
she spoke out of a full and complete experience of all 
that she uttered. 



236 HISTORY OF THE 

Her influence upon the earth has made rich and 
fragrant many lives which will be her crown of rejoic- 
ing in eternity. 

Mrs. Haywood had a broad, intelligent idea of mis- 
sionary work. The secret of her devotion and interest 
is found in her own words: "We are not engaged in 
this work because we sought it, but it has come to us." 
"By divine authority woman has a part in missionary 
work." Her zeal and quiet enthusiasm did not depend 
upon results or special pleas, but an abiding conviction 
that loyalty to the King of kings meant obedience to 
his commands, an absorbing desire to see his kingdom 
extended, and a complete consecration of self and service 
to the conquest. Nothing she possessed was too precious 
to be given as an offering. 

It is a sincere pleasure to remember that in her home 
she was eminently Christian. Here her virtues, shining 
with a steady luster, were the highest order of adorn- 
ment. Calm, dignified, vivacious, but earnest, hospita- 
ble, and social, she ever impressed one with her character 
as a Christian matron. She had a peculiar skill, what- 
ever the subject of conversation might be, in finding a 
ready occasion to turn the current to some aspect of 
religious faith, or experience, or hope, or to some feature 
of Bible-teaching. 

At her funeral there was a large audience, composed 
of the faculty and students of Otterbein University, and 
citizens and friends from a distance, assembled to pay 
their tribute of love and respect. The literary society of 
which she was the founder, and the local missionary 
society, attended in a body. 

The casket was placed in front of the altar, upon 
which was a floral offering by the trustees of the 
Woman's Missionary Association. 



UNITED BRETHREN MISSIONS. 237 

The secretary of this association, in writing of Mrs. 
Haywood's death, says : " We shall miss her wise coun- 
sel in the board of trustees. When we assemble in an- 
nual meeting, the queenly, dignified one, who, from the 
first meeting, filled the office of vice-president, and since 
1879 hag occupied the president's chair, will not be with 
US. But her influence cannot die. We can honor her 
memory in no better way than to follow her example of 
thoughtful devotion to the spread of the gospel. A few 
days before she left us, when bidding her good-by, she 
said: 'I send love to all the dear sisters.' Thousands 
of those who knew and loved her, from the Atlantic to 
the Pacific and in far-off Africa and Germany, would 
join us in our floral offerings and tribute of respect were 
they permitted to do so. 

" Some years ago Mrs. Haywood was very deeply im- 
pressed that the Sunday-school of Westerville was able 
to support the teacher of one of our African schools. 
Having a Sunday to spend there, she invited me to her 
house to dine, and help her to some facts respecting this 
matter. I can recall some of her words, and especially 
her spirit, which reminded me forcibly of the words: 
'For Zion's sake will I not hold my peace, and for 
Jerusalem's sake I will not rest, until the righteousness 
thereof go forth as brightness, and the salvation thereof 
as a lamp that burneth." ' (Isaiah 62 : 1.) 

This was before the organization of the Woman's Mis- 
sionary Association in our church. She felt that there 
was far less done by the people of Westerville than 
should be in behalf of the heathen. In her efforts to 
collect money for missions, she had met with much 
opposition from persons who said the mission in Africa 
was not successful, and would not be soon. In a short 
time after this interview the Sunday-school there was 



238 HISTORY OF THE 

organized into a missionary society, and undertook to 
support a school at Manncrh, in Africa, which it has done 
most of the time since. 

Mrs. Haywood does not belong to the class of persons 
who spend their time in showing how and why things 
can't be done. In this respect she and Mrs. Sowers were 
alike ; they believed it more consistent and necessary to 
show how things can be done, and then proceed to do 
them, in a kind, Christian manner, even before others 
finished their harangues on the opposite side of the 
question. 

Much of the success of the Woman's Board is due to 
the executive ability and self-sacrificing spirit of its 
first presidents. Their godly lives, great love for souls, 
and unceasing efforts to rescue the perishing, are a legacy 
to the whole Church of inestimable value. They be- 
lieved it possible to reform and save men, through the 
gospel, and they showed their faith by their works. 
Thanks be to God for such trophies of grace. Some have 
gone to heaven, but others remain to bless the world. 



UNITED BRETHREN MISSIONS. 239 



CHAPTER XXII. 

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES OF AFRICAN CONVERTS. 

David Kosambo Louding was born in the autumn of 
1866, in Mosam, an African village situated eighty miles 
south of Freetown, and about twenty miles south of 
Shaingay, the capital of Sierra Leone. It is our first 
mission station in West Africa. 

David's father's name was Bannah Kosambo, and his 
mother was a daughter of Thomas Stephen Caulker, who 
was chief at Shaingay when a site was obtained for a 
mission near that place. 

David's father was in good circumstances for that 
country, having two wives and a number of slaves, and 
was a man of a good deal of energy. His mother was 
also a superior woman, considering her heathen sur- 
roundings. 

David was one of the first two taken as mission boys 
at Shaingay by Mr. and Mrs. Gomer. This was when he 
was five years of age. Children of well-to-do heathens who 
own slaves are not required to do anything that slaves 
are expected to do, so that David did little else but play 
before coming to the mission. Besides being trained in 
idleness, he was also taught all the heathen superstitions. 
His father had in front of his mud hut a circle three feet 
in diameter, and in the center of this was a small post 
made of counter wood, on the top of which was a coun- 
try-made axe, which was there to keep witches from en- 
tering his house. His father was also a purrow man, 
and had him put in the purrow bush at the age of three 



240 HISTORY OF THE 

or four years. When he came out he received a new 
name, as is the custom, and was called Contam. The 
purrow bush, sometimes called "devil bush," is a se- 
cret society, which has for its objects the promotion of 
idolatry, amuletism, and devil worship. It holds its 
meetings in the bush, near to where Satan is supposed to 
have a stopping place, and over which he exerts a pow- 
erful influence. Near most African towns of considera- 
ble size a spot of ground of from ten to forty acres is 
dedicated to the Devil-bush Society. A certain initia- 
tory ceremony is observed pledging the person joining 
the society to do certain things, and refrain from doing 
certain other things. This mystic order regulates the 
religion, commerce, and laws of the country to a large 
extent. It is the means in the hands of Satan of great 
evils.. 

To tell it in a sentence, David came to the mission 
with all the vices common to heathen children of his 
age. Those most marked and difficult to overcome in 
him were lying, stealing, using obscene language, and 
a violent temper. When provoked, he would fight 
boys twice or thrice his size, but his courageous pluck 
carried him through without serious injury. He had 
more pride and self-esteem than were for his good. The 
haughty feeling very common among men, especially 
Purrow-bush Society members, that women are inferior 
to themselves, fully possessed him. 

But now let us see what this boy amounted to as he 
grew up. When he came to the mission he could not 
speak a word of English, but he learned to speak so read- 
ily and made such rapid progress in his studies that he 
soon became a favorite both in the school and the mis- 
sion family. Mr. and Mrs. Gomer, who had charge of 
him when out of school, taught him scripture texts and 



UNITED BRETHREN MISSIONS. 241 

hymns, and had him repeat them occasionally and 

soon discovered that he retained whatever he was 

taught. The boy's faults they corrected, none of which 

was harder to overcome than his unwillingness to do 

slave's work, as he called digging in the ground or any 

kind of farm work. At most of our mission stations in 

Africa there are farms, and mission boys are required to 

labor on them about five hours each week day. Mission 

girls work in the houses and sew the same number of 

hours. Anything that was not slave's work David did 

cheerfully, and in time he learned that it was right to 

do that. 

David's natural good sense, his ability to learn, and 

great love for knowledge, as well as his good talking 

ability, made him a leader among his schoolmates. He 

was a natural-born orator, and could plead his cause 

well. He could look you in the face and boldly declare 

he had never seen a thing, which, at the same time, he 

had eaten, hidden, or given away. When detected, he 

would insist that some one else must have done it. He 

had a great dread of punishment. One of the methods 

at our missions is to write the name of the offense on a 

large, stiff card, putting a string into two corners of it, 

and tying it around the neck so that it will hang over 

the breast. This would bring the truth from David, but 

it was not often necessary to resort to this punishment 

in his case. He mastered any study given him in a 

reasonable time, and was never satisfied unless he was 

at the head of his class. The result was that he was the 

best scholar connected with the mission when he left 

Africa for the United States in 1880, as he was among 

the best during the four years he attended both day 

and Sunday-schools in America. 

In August, 1878, he and five of his classmates and 
16 



242 HISTORY OF THE 

three adults united with the Church at the same time. 
It was soon seen that the Spirit of the Lord had touched 
his heart, though he was only about twelve years old. 
As the palm trees with which that country abounds 
throw off old and superfluous branches, so David, as 
he grew up, threw off his ugly, wicked ways, and be- 
came truthful, honest, and prompt in the discharge of 
his duties as a mission boy and a Christian. 

He could interest and amuse others while he was yet 
quite young and before he could speak English well. 

At the weekly Bible class all mission children are 
present, unless there are special reasons for their ab- 
sence, even before they can read. Mr. Gomer could not 
attend one of these Bible meetings, and when David re- 
turned he asked him what the lesson was about that 
night. He replied substantially as follows : " Dis night 
me been read one place where dem people bin want for 
keep meeting, and dey bin one gate dere dey call um 
beautiful. Dem people dey bring one man what no able 
to walker, and lay him dere so he can beg dem people 
for give copper, [they call all money copper in this part 
of Africa] and Peter and John want for go into that 
meeting, and he look um and say, give me copper, and 
Peter say, I no got copper, but that ting what I get I go 
give you, for get up and walk; and de man begin for 
walker." All Bible readers will readily recognize that 
the lesson for that evening was the third chapter of the 
Acts of the Apostles, and that our heathen boy, of about 
six or seven years of age, got the fact well fixed in his 
mind that a miracle had been wrought upon the lame 
man by Peter and John in the name of Christ. 

One more very amusing incident, not so to him how- 
ever, occurred in Dayton, Ohio, where he lived and at- 
tended school. By over-work his eyes became inflamed, 



UNITED BRETHREN MISSIONS. 243 

and his adopted mother, Mrs. P. Louding, took him to a 
physician to get a prescription. After having examined 
the eyes and written the prescription, the physician said, 
" David, you must not g ) to school nor look at a book for 
a week, but keep your eyes shaded." As Mrs. Louding 
and he came out of the office, she told him to go home, 
and she would get the medicine and soon follow him. 
Half an hour later, as she was passing the street on 
which David had gone, she heard a boy crying, a few rods 
up an alley, and saw a group of other boys around him. 
Thinking an accident had happened some one, she went 
to see if she could not render some assistance to the un- 
fortunate lad, little expecting to find her own adopted 
son there, crying as though his heart would break. He. 
had gone into this alley to give vent to his grief at his 
being forbidden the school-room and all use of his eyes 
for a week, and a group of his schoolmates had gone to 
inquire what troubled him, and he told them he would 
not be able to keep up with his classes, and that caused 
him great distress. His love for books and thirst for 
knowledge was remarkable. Rev. W. J. Shuey, his Sab- 
bath-school teacher, who had a large number of well-in- 
formed men and women in his Bible class, said David 
was the best scholar he had. 

His pastor said "His brilliant life and untimely death 
had settled beyond doubt two very important questions ; 
one that the mission work of the Church in that dark 
land was not a failure. The pure, successful life and 
victorious death of young Louding was compensation 
in full for all the Church had ever done in that country. 
The other, that a man with a colored skin could have 
brain and soul ; that this dark heathen boy was brought 
here, put into the school, taught with the white students, 
and that he pulled even and much of the time ahead; 



244 HISTORY OF THE 

that his amiable life and sweet, triumphant death were 
assurances that the African had a soul full of tenderness 
and love." 

He was buried in Woodland Cemetery, Dayton, Ohio, 
May 12, 1884, not yet eighteen years of age, but fully 
ripe for heaven. 

THOMAS TUCKER. 

The subject of this sketch was born in 1836, in Tong- 
keh, on the Bargroo River, in Western Africa, an African 
village, about one hundred miles south of Freetown, the 
capital of Sierra Leone. Rev. J. K. Billheimer found 
him on Sherbro Island, in 1857, in a nude state, as many 
of the people in that country are now, and exceedingly 
ignorant and superstitious. 

Mr. Billheimer at first employed him as a common la- 
borer, but he was soon promoted to captain of the mis- 
sion boat, and made foreman of laborers on land when 
not boating. He early showed executive ability and suc- 
cess in the management of men. In less than two years 
after he came to the mission he was deeply impressed 
with the truth of Christianity, and made an effort to 
find the Savior. Having but one missionary on the 
field, and that one disabled by sickness, religious services 
were irregular, and instruction to seekers after truth 
meagre. Owing to this and other causes, Thomas did 
not progress rapidly ; but he never intentionally took 
a step backward. He was from the first a fast friend of 
the mission, and finally he showed in his life that he 
was a changed man. In due time he took to him a wife, 
according to the custom of the country, and not long 
afterward, a second wife, as polygamy is common there. 
This last step came near plunging him into the degra- 
dation of heathen life again. When he was made con- 
scious of the great wrong he had done, he put away one 



UNITED BRETHREN MISSIONS. 245 

wife, and was married fo the other one according to 
Christian marriage. 

We hati no organized church in Africa until 1875, con- 
sequently those who renounced heathenism did not have 
such advantages as exist at present. Thomas was sober, 
industrious, truthful, honest, and reliable ; very superior 
to the natives generally, and to what he was when he 
first came to Shaingay. Soon after Mr. J. Gomer and 
wife reached Africa, in 1870, Thomas was greatly aroused 
in regard to his religious condition, and made a fuller 
consecration of himself to Christ. In a greater measure 
than ever before he exemplified the religion of Christ. 
Not only was he prompt to attend the means of grace, 
and was found, whenever practicable, at prayer meeting, 
public preaching, and the morning and evening family 
prayers at the mission, but he began to speak to those 
around him who were out of Christ about their soul's 
salvation, and urge them to abandon heathen practices 
and become Christians. 

About this time Mr. Gomer had him lead prayer meet- 
ing, and occasionally pray at the close of public worship. 
Not unfrequently he would go to neighboring villages, 
and there tell the story of the cross. In this way he be- 
came a kind of home evangelist, a lay preacher, and as 
lie was a large, well-developed man, with an open, honest 
face, which seemed to say to all, I will do you no harm, 
but try to do you good, the people listened to him with 
interest and profit. His manly bearing and sincerity— 
for he was pre-eminently sincere — and deep sympathy 
with the people in their sufferings, and especially his zeal 
for their salvation, gave him great influence over them. 

He also became a very influential man with Chief 
Caulker. A few years before his death, while laboring as 
our missiorary at Mo-Fuss, where he died at his post, 



246 HISTORY OF THE 

Chief Caulker made him a sub-chief over a large district. 
He gave general satisfaction, and no appeal was ever 
made from his decisions to the superior chief. He con- 
tinued in this office from 1882 to 1885. 

The last two years of his life he was a member of the 
missionary district meeting, being admitted to the min- 
istry in 1883, and dying in 1885. Kev. D. F. Wilberforce 
says : " I was one of the committee to examine Brother 
Thomas Tucker for admission into our district meeting. 
There were examined at the same time a young man 
fresh from the grammar school in Freetown, and another 
from our schools. In his own peculiar way, and in bro- 
ken English, Brother Tucker gave answers which only 
a man who had experimental knowledge of religion could 
give. He came out ahead of the other candidates, who 
were better educated than he. They had book knowl- 
edge, but he had long been a learner at the feet of Jesus. 
All who ever heard him took knowledge of him that he 
had been with Jesus." 

Beyond being able to read the Bible, he had but little 
desire for literary attainments. His natural good sense 
and genuine Christian experience, with a proper regard 
to the interests of both his superiors and inferiors, made 
him influential and a valuable helper. He cheerfully 
accepted the responsibilities of positions given him, but 
never sought for them. It was his right to become head 
man of Mo-Fuss. This town belonged to him in the 
sense of his being its ruler, but he chose rather to make it 
his headquarters as an evangelist than a temporal ruler, 
and from it go to the adjacent towns and villages and 
preach the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. His round 
of appointments reached from twenty to thirty places, 
and with joy did he visit these, traveling on foot or in 
native canoes, to tell the story of Christ to the people. 



UNITED BRETHREN MISSIONS. 247 

One night when he was in his canoe, a large, hungry, 
and determined alligator tried hard to make a supper 
of him. The Lord enabled him, with his oars and by 
skillful management of his canoe, to keep his enemy at 
bay until he landed, and escaped from danger. 

The writer's last associations with Thomas were at the 
annual meeting at Bonthe in the spring of 1885. He 
seemed more than usually devout, cheerful, and inter- 
ested in all that was done. The business was finished 
Saturday, and Sunday was given to worship. Early in 
the morning was a love feast, and Thomas spoke with 
unusual unction and power. His face became radiant 
with divine light and shone with the glory of God. All 
day did he and others feel the divine presence, and truly 
it was good to be there. 

His death, supposed to have been caused by eating pois- 
oned meat, the animal having been bitten by a snake, 
was very sudden, but it found Thomas ready. His dying 
testimony was clear, and though he was in great agony, 
he gave directions as to the disposition of his body, 
which he wished carried from Mo-Fuss to Shaingay for 
burial, assuring those around him that his soul would 
sweetly rest in the arms of Jesus. Thus passed away a 
truly good man, leaving a wife and an only child. 

JOHN WILLIAMS. 

This boy, whose short but brilliant life and death, 
for in his case it is not amiss to speak of even his 
death in this sense, was born at Bomphetook, West 
Africa, about the year 1872. His father was among the 
first Christians there, and was very earnest and faith- 
ful. The mother of John Williams was a heathen, 
when he was born, and continued such until after his 
death. John was a good boy; that is, he was well 



248 HISTORY OF THE UNITED BRETHREN MISSIONS. 

disposed, and prepossessing in his appearance. He 
made good progress in his studies, was very fond of 
music, and had a good voice, which made his singing 
attractive. He spoke English quite well, and soon 
showed good ability as an interpreter. He was a good 
leader of singing also. Because of these qualities, he 
for some time acted as interpreter of Rembee station. 
Mr. McCauley, the missionary there, itinerated a good 
deal, and took John with him. It was by wading 
swamps, no doubt, and the exposure he endured during 
this service, that he laid the foundation of the illness 
which ended his life. He and his mother had been 
stopping at Debia, a village only about a half a mile 
from Shaingay, for some time previous to his death. His 
disease was the African scrofula, which may be generally 
known by the knots which form around the neck. It is 
called knot disease by the natives, and these knots are 
frequently burned out by them. John had reached the 
point when all hope of recovery had gone, and he was 
patiently and hopefully awaiting his end. 

Daily the school children at Shaingay visited John, 
and often at his request read and sang for him. Late 
one evening he sent for several of the school children 
to come to see him. When they got there he told 
them to sing, " Thou, my everlasting portion," and, " I 
am sweeping through the gates." They all heartily 
joined in the singing and finished the first hymn, but 
had hardly commenced the second when John's soul 
went to God. He had told them he would die that 
night, but still no one thought it would be so sudden 
and glorious. Mr. Gomer was present, and says it was 
an hour not to be forgotten by those who witnessed the 
victory of faith in Christ. 



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